A chair had been kept ready for Charmonai Peer and Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) Ameer Syed Rezaul Karim, but with the party staying away from the press conference, Jamaat-e-Islami and 10 other parties on Thursday formally announced seat-sharing arrangements for 253 constituencies under the banner of the "11-Party Electoral Unity"-without the participation of Islami Andolan Bangladesh-leaving the future of the alliance uncertain.
The announcement was made at a press conference held on Thursday, January 15, at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB). No representative of Islami Andolan Bangladesh was present at the briefing.
Under the alliance arrangement, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will field candidates in 179 constituencies in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. The National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from the July mass uprising, will contest 30 seats, while Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis will field candidates in 20 constituencies.
Among other alliance partners, Khelafat Majlis will contest 10 seats, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seven, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) three, Bangladesh Development Party (BDP) two, and Nezam-e-Islam two seats. Although Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) are also part of the alliance, Jamaat leaders did not disclose how many seats those parties would contest.
The alliance has kept 47 seats reserved for Islami Andolan Bangladesh, one of its most discussed partners.
Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said discussions on seat sharing with Islami Andolan Bangladesh were still ongoing. "We will not accept any form of vote rigging in the election. We want to ensure the votes of the youth. We demand justice for the killing of Hadi, and we know who were involved in this murder," he said.
He also said Jamaat-e-Islami respects all sacrifices made in 1947, 1971, and 2024.
Before announcing the seat distribution, Jamaat's Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, "The understanding reached among the parties present today is being announced now. Consensus-based arrangements with alliance partners will be made for the remaining seats."
He added, "The upcoming election will be an election to build a new Bangladesh. Never before in the country's electoral history have so many parties come together to form such a large alliance. Today's unity will play a historic role as a model."
At the press conference, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said, "We have united with the goal of building a discrimination-free country based on reforms. There will be no individual party candidates anywhere; everyone will contest as candidates of this alliance. We must raise awareness in favour of voting 'yes' in the referendum."
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh announced that it would hold a separate press conference on electoral seat-sharing at 300pm on January 16.
Earlier, an invitation sent to journalists by Jamaat around 1130am on Wednesday said a press conference would be held at 430pm at IDEB to make the final announcement on seat sharing among Jamaat-e-Islami and 10 other parties, with top leaders of all 11 parties expected to attend. However, the press conference was postponed around 215pm.
Over the past few days, tensions had persisted between Jamaat and Islami Andolan over seat allocation. Following the postponement, speculation grew that Islami Andolan and several other parties might withdraw from the alliance.
Amid this situation, leaders of 10 parties met at Jamaat's office in Moghbazar on Thursday morning without Islami Andolan Bangladesh. After the meeting, senior leaders expressed optimism that the alliance would remain intact, saying discussions were continuing despite differences.
After the meeting, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, "Our final decision and detailed roadmap will be announced tonight at 800pm. We are not facing any crisis. Discussions and differences of opinion should not be termed as a problem."
NCP Convener Nahid Islam said, "We will make every effort to keep this alliance intact. Even if disagreements exist, the process of alliance-building will continue."
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Mamunul Haque said, "The final seat list will be announced at tonight's press conference of the 11-party alliance, including Islami Andolan Bangladesh."
