BNP to discuss seat-sharing looking at election process
Still in a protest mode, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will discuss with alliance partners the issue of sharing seats and finalise the party’s nominations once the election schedule is announced, according to senior leaders.
However, party office bearers informally say, as the general elections near, there is pressure from some alliance members for distribution of parliamentary seats for contesting the polls.
“We haven’t made any formal list of the possible contestants in the elections, nor have the alliance partners approached us about this as yet,” said Nazrul Islam Khan, the BNP’s standing committee member and coordinator of the 20-party alliance.
“We do not want that from them either. If we decide to join the elections, we will fix all this after sitting with leaders of the alliance one or two days into the polls schedule. We know who have likely candidates and where.”
When asked about the matter, some BNP office bearers said if they start discussing seat-sharing and the party’s nomination, this will clearly mean the party is going to contest in the polls.
In such a scenario, they added, it will be difficult to create further pressure on the government for holding a free and fair election.
The main opposition party’s top priority at the moment is holding a joint programme with the newly floated coalition of Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front) to amass support for fair and acceptable elections, the party high-ups said.
The Front wants the elections to be under a neutral administration and promises change in national political culture.
The BNP has more than one candidate in each constituency, Prothom Alo has learned after talking to leaders at different levels of the party. They have some idea of who are going to contest in around 100 constituencies.
A section of the BNP leaders claims possible candidates are in regular contact with the central leaders as part of lobbying to secure nominations.
Apparently, the potential candidates are not active at the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s office at Gulshan and the party’s central Naya Paltan office.
Many of the potential candidates are seen active only in the media and on the social media.
They believe if a proper election is held, it will be easy as a BNP candidate to win.
The potential candidates are not either willing to be exposed amid the spree of ‘fictitious cases’ filed by the law enforcement across the country.
“The leaders and activists are on the run due to false cases. Many of them can’t go to the office for fear of being arrested. Who will dare to seek nomination at this point?” said BNP’s joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
BNP cautious over nomination
A few leaders of the 20-party alliance partners said as there is no progress in seat sharing, some of the alliance members are not comfortable.
Two members of the alliance—Bangladesh NAP and National Democratic Party—have already left the BNP-led alliance after not getting any assurance over the seat sharing, some claimed.
Asked about the matter, Oli Ahmed, president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said it had not been decided as yet as to whether the 20-party alliance will contest the elections or not.
The matter will be discussed soon after a decision is finalised, he added.
The BNP policymakers say they have an idea about the sharing of seats among the alliance members.
As the Oikya Front has now been allied with the BNP, the major party has to be more calculative, according to party leaders.
The BNP will be generous about the Oikya Front’s members – Gano Forum, JSD and Nagorik Oikya, said those who know the party’s thinking.
Gano Forum’s executive president Subrata Chowdhury said, “We are not with those who are after shares. Those who want shares didn’t come to the coalition. We are busy with how to secure a fair election.”
Eight parties in the 20-party alliance have registration with the election commission while the High Court scrapped registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, an influential alliance partner.
The people familiar with the matter said the alliance members inclusive of Jamaat may demand 100 seats.
“No talks have yet been held between the first (BNP) and second parties (alliance members), while the third party (the media) is publishing different lists,” said Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, chairman of the Kalyan Party, which is in the alliance.
“When they (BNP) call us, we will present our list,” he added.
Several leaders of the alliance said they want an understanding in this regard as early as possible.
BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “We’re thinking about everyone. We’ll take a decision on seat sharing with alliance members if we go to the polls and the (election) atmosphere is created and the BNP chairperson is released.”
