‘King’s parties’ rounded up for polls
Little-known and recently-formed political parties have started announcing that they are taking part in the polls, as the government seeks to get as many registered parties as possible to run.
These small parties are said to be being bolstered to make the January 7 election look participatory since the BNP, its allies, and some other parties have decided to boycott any election under Sheikh Hasina-led government, analysts said.
With the election around a month and a half away, Bangladesh Kalyan Party and Bangladesh Muslim League, who had been with the BNP waging an oust-the-government movement, had a sudden change of heart and announced yesterday that they would join the race.
Their move came within a week after Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said many political parties and individuals would eventually decide to take part in the polls.
Yesterday, Quader hinted again that more parties would join. "To those who were worried as to who will participate and who will not ... flowers have started to bloom. More flowers will soon be in bloom. Hundreds will be there before the deadline for submitting nomination forms. Hence, there is no reason to worry. We are happy."
Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), and Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), which got the Election Commission's registration this year, are frantically trying to absorb breakaway BNP leaders and leaders of some little known Islamist parties.
Such moves are seen by many as the government's attempt to have more parties on the opposition bench in the next Jatiya Sangsad, as Jatiya Party's role as the main opposition in the last two parliaments was criticised, political analysts said.
BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed yesterday alleged that the government was putting pressure on their leaders to join the so-called king's parties (created or sponsored by strong actors to further their cause).
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, told The Daily Star, "We all know the people behind such initiatives. This is a sign that rigging might take place in the upcoming election."
When the BNP and allies were on the streets demanding the resignation of the government and polls under a non-partisan administration, several little-known political parties, most of which were led by ex-BNP leaders, got EC registration.
Trinamool BNP, formed by former BNP leader Nazmul Huda in 2017, got registration in February. Huda died a few days after the party got registration.
In September, former BNP leaders Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Taimur Alam Khandaker were elected chairperson and secretary general of the party.
Trinamool BNP said it will field candidates in all 300 constituencies.
The BNM and the BSP were registered in July. The BNM was formed by some former BNP leaders, while the BSP is an ally of several Islamist parties with ties to the AL.
"It's part of the [government's] conspiracy to split the BNP," a BNP standing committee member told this newspaper in July.
The BNM on Monday took in four former BNP lawmakers. One of them, Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar, a former MP of Faridpur-1, was made its acting chairman.
The BSP in September formed the Liberal Islamic Alliance (LIA) comprising Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote, Ashikine Awlia Oikya Parishad Bangladesh, Bangladesh Janodal, Krishak Sramik Party and National Awami Party (NAP Vashani).
Talking to The Daily Star on November 16, BSP and LIA Chairman Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed said the alliance would take part in the election.
KALYAN PARTY FORMS ALLIANCE
Kalyan Party and Muslim League, which alongside the BNP have been on the streets over the last 11 months demanding polls under a neutral government, yesterday said they have formed a new electoral alliance -- Jukto Front -- with Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Mukit), and the alliance would field 100 candidates.
Kalyan Party in 2012 was a component of the BNP-led alliance.
Asked why they suddenly made such decisions, Kalyan Party Chairman Major General (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim told The Daily Star, "We still believe that the best results could be obtained under a caretaker government.
"… Due to the limitations imposed by the government, we have two options. One is to shut down all political activities and the other is to take part in the polls under these circumstances. We have chosen the latter."
He said the government has assured that the polls will be free and fair.
Ibrahim said the current anti-government movement on the streets ran out of steam due to the obstacles that surfaced after October 28.
Asked if the Jukto Front was going to be a king's party, Ibrahim said, "We don't have to be a king's party. There is no king [in our alliance]."
He said there was no pressure to take part in the polls.
The 12-party alliance, of which Kalyan Party and Muslim League are partners, yesterday termed Ibrahim "a betrayer" and expelled both parties from the alliance.