Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
Although the BNP-led 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the campaign jointly for mayor candidates in the municipal polls, key allies of the alliance are yet to reach compromise on seat sharing issue, insiders said.
Leaders of the alliance are contesting mayor posts in many municipalities against each other. Jamaat’s independent candidates are contesting in many places against BNP’s candidates, while BNP leaders and leaders of other parties are also contesting against each other.
Sources said, no negotiation finally took place between the two key partners– BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Jamaat fielded independent candidates in 45 municipalities. They are hopeful of victory in at least 15 municipalities against BNP’s candidates.
Meanwhile, other partners of the 20-party alliance are annoyed with the BNP for not appreciating them in the polls. The alliance leaders expressed annoyance at a meeting on Saturday. The secretary general-level meeting of the alliance was held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the city with BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.
After the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul told reporters, jointly the 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the campaign for its mayor candidates in the December 30 polls to ensure victory. The meeting also decided to locally reach an understating with independent candidates of Jamaat-e-Islami, where they are in the race, he added.
The BNP leader alleged that many candidates couldn’t campaign for fear of arrest and harassment. He demanded withdrawal of false cases against the candidates. He called upon the Election Commission (EC) to take necessary measures in the areas where the BNP candidates have been facing obstacles in carrying out their campaigns.
Replying to a question, Mirza Fakhrul admitted that they had problems with Jamaat candidates in few municipality, saying that the problems would be resolved locally.
He said that they would send a delegation of the 20-party alliance to the EC very soon with their suggestions to properly hold the elections. He alleged that the ministers and MPs are continuously violating the electoral code of conduct. “The EC can’t prevent them. It proves that the EC is incompetent and failed one.”
The meeting was arranged to work out the alliance’s strategies for the polls. No leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote joined it. Sources said, Jamaat did not join the meeting, as the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are now maintaining silent distance from each other. Jamaat demanded 35 mayor posts, while BNP wanted to share 20-22 seats.
Many BNP leaders alleged that Jamaat candidates are contesting against BNP candidates under the pressure from the government. BNP standing committee member Lt General (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman said that government was coercing Jamaat-e-Islami into joining municipal polls. BNP has specific information that Jamaat has fielded candidates under government pressure.
Meanwhile, expressing annoyance with the BNP, leaders of 20-party alliance also wanted to know from Mirza Fakhrul in the meeting that why the Jamaat and Islami Oikya Jote representatives did not join the meeting and how it would be possible to take decision without their participation? Mirza Fakhrul replied that the Jamaat leaders did not join the meeting in a bid to avoid arrest. MM Aminur Rahman of Bangladesh Kalyan Party raised the question, meeting sources said.
Prof Ahmed Abdul Quader Bachchu of Khelafat Majlis said that they had fielded five candidates. Why the alliance meeting was not called earlier to finalise the seats, he questioned. He said that they would take part in campaign for the 20-party’s candidates without the five municipalities. M Golam Mustafa Bhuiyan of Bangladesh NAP said the BNP unilaterally formed election coordination committees. It would be good if the committees would be formed under the 20-party alliance, he told the meeting.
Although the BNP-led 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the campaign jointly for mayor candidates in the municipal polls, key allies of the alliance are yet to reach compromise on seat sharing issue, insiders said.
Leaders of the alliance are contesting mayor posts in many municipalities against each other. Jamaat’s independent candidates are contesting in many places against BNP’s candidates, while BNP leaders and leaders of other parties are also contesting against each other.
Sources said, no negotiation finally took place between the two key partners– BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Jamaat fielded independent candidates in 45 municipalities. They are hopeful of victory in at least 15 municipalities against BNP’s candidates.
Meanwhile, other partners of the 20-party alliance are annoyed with the BNP for not appreciating them in the polls. The alliance leaders expressed annoyance at a meeting on Saturday. The secretary general-level meeting of the alliance was held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the city with BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair.
After the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul told reporters, jointly the 20-party alliance has decided to take part in the campaign for its mayor candidates in the December 30 polls to ensure victory. The meeting also decided to locally reach an understating with independent candidates of Jamaat-e-Islami, where they are in the race, he added.
The BNP leader alleged that many candidates couldn’t campaign for fear of arrest and harassment. He demanded withdrawal of false cases against the candidates. He called upon the Election Commission (EC) to take necessary measures in the areas where the BNP candidates have been facing obstacles in carrying out their campaigns.
Replying to a question, Mirza Fakhrul admitted that they had problems with Jamaat candidates in few municipality, saying that the problems would be resolved locally.
He said that they would send a delegation of the 20-party alliance to the EC very soon with their suggestions to properly hold the elections. He alleged that the ministers and MPs are continuously violating the electoral code of conduct. “The EC can’t prevent them. It proves that the EC is incompetent and failed one.”
The meeting was arranged to work out the alliance’s strategies for the polls. No leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote joined it. Sources said, Jamaat did not join the meeting, as the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are now maintaining silent distance from each other. Jamaat demanded 35 mayor posts, while BNP wanted to share 20-22 seats.
Many BNP leaders alleged that Jamaat candidates are contesting against BNP candidates under the pressure from the government. BNP standing committee member Lt General (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman said that government was coercing Jamaat-e-Islami into joining municipal polls. BNP has specific information that Jamaat has fielded candidates under government pressure.
Meanwhile, expressing annoyance with the BNP, leaders of 20-party alliance also wanted to know from Mirza Fakhrul in the meeting that why the Jamaat and Islami Oikya Jote representatives did not join the meeting and how it would be possible to take decision without their participation? Mirza Fakhrul replied that the Jamaat leaders did not join the meeting in a bid to avoid arrest. MM Aminur Rahman of Bangladesh Kalyan Party raised the question, meeting sources said.
Prof Ahmed Abdul Quader Bachchu of Khelafat Majlis said that they had fielded five candidates. Why the alliance meeting was not called earlier to finalise the seats, he questioned. He said that they would take part in campaign for the 20-party’s candidates without the five municipalities. M Golam Mustafa Bhuiyan of Bangladesh NAP said the BNP unilaterally formed election coordination committees. It would be good if the committees would be formed under the 20-party alliance, he told the meeting.
