Ahead of the upcoming 13th national elections, five religious parties have reached a consensus, based on which they have already formed a liaison committee.
According to sources, two representatives from each party have been placed in the committee. These five Qaumi Madrasa-based parties will meet again for discussions after the ongoing dialogue of the National Consensus Commission.
The parties are Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam and Nezam-e-Islam Party.
The leaders of the five parties told this correspondent that they have been continuously discussing the issue of forging Islamic unity for the past several years. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed the Liberation War in 1971, has not been included in this probable electoral compromise. Although there have been discussions on various media about the consensus of the five Islamic parties under the leadership of the Jamaat, the leaders have dismissed such reports as 'propaganda'.
Speaking to this reporter, a number of leaders said that first of all, this initiative of the five Islamic parties is a compromise, it is not an alliance. Secondly, they are not ready to say anything definitively about whether the Jamaat will be part of this consensus.
‘Differences’ in joining a grand alliance
On April 23 this year, a joint meeting of these five Islamic parties was held at the Islami Andolan Bangladesh office. The meeting was presided over by the Ameer of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, popularly known as Charmonai Pir.
Five issues were agreed upon in the meeting. These are advancing strategic discussions on fielding single candidates for Islamist parties in the elections based on seats; uniting to build an Islamic welfare state free from hegemony and imperialism; ensuring the trial of the Awami League and those involved in the genocide as fascist parties; holding national elections within a reasonable time after necessary and fundamental reforms and abolishing the Women's Affairs Reform Commission.
Following the meeting, representatives of the five parties met at the offices of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Khilafat Majlis.
When asked, Jamiat Secretary General Maulana Manjurul Islam Afendi told this correspondent on Tuesday: “We have taken the initiative to make the five Islamic parties float one candidate and one ballot box. That initiative is ongoing. The entire process has not been officially finalized yet.”
Maulana Afendi added: “We have formed a liaison committee. There has been no clear decision on the election process. There are differences of opinion on how we will unite, where we will all go together, whether we will join a large alliance. This is where we are.”
Maulana Afendi believes that the next meeting will be held after the consensus commission’s discussions with the political parties.
“The issue of a compromise among the five Islamic parties is under process. We have reached a consensus. But there is still a lot of discussion left,” he said.
On August 18, after the fall of the Awami League government, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman held a meeting with fellow jailed Islamic leaders and scholars at the party office in Moghbazar in the capital. After that, various Islamic parties went to the Jamaat’s office and held a meeting there. The Jamaat Ameer went to his office in Barisal to meet Charmonai Pir. That process stalled again in the middle of this year.
The Qaumi Madrasa-based parties, excluding the Jamaat, initiated a unity effort. However, the parties are still not in agreement on keeping the Jamaat out completely. Again, the Jamaat has not finalized whether it will finally unite with the Qaumi Madrasa-based parties. Even whether to form an electoral alliance, with Islamic parties or with the student party NCP is being discussed at the top level of the party, sources suggest.
However, a reliable source in the Jamaat said that after the meeting of the chief adviser with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman on June 13, the Jamaat, Islami Andolan and NCP issued a statement opposing the joint statement. The source believes that a consensus has been reached after that statement.
However, in response to the question whether this opposition can lead to an electoral compromise, Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, recently spoke to this reporter and during the interview he said: “It is not the time to say it yet.”
An influential leader of the Islami Andolan believes that whether the Qawmi Madrasa-based parties will unite with the Jamaat depends on several factors. It is not possible to say until the last moment whether there will be an alliance or any agreement with them. However, this leader did not rule out the issue of an electoral compromise.
Islami Andolan to announce candidates soon
Among the five Islamic parties, the Islami Andolan has finalized its candidates for the election. The party's leaders have already joined the campaign and are engaged in publicizing their programme. An influential leader of the party's central committee said that the Islami Andolan will initially announce the list of candidates for three hundred seats. The party will present this list to the nation very soon through a press conference.
Party sources said that the Islami Andolan has called a grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on June 28. The party will hold this rally to demand elections on the basis of the system of proportional representation (PR).
