Alliance-based politics gaining momentum ahead of JS polls
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Alliance-based politics has gained momentum ahead of the next parliamentary election as a number of new and old coalitions of political parties are working in the country.
The ruling Awami League has been maintaining 14-party alliance while the major opposition BNP has dissolved their 20-party alliance in a bid to forge anti-government movement simultaneously with other opposition parties.
Several alliances of opposition political parties have already been formed in the country and they will go for simultaneous movement with the BNP on the same issues.
Some more political parties remain outside the alliances as a few of them are loyal to the ruling party and a few others will go for movement with the BNP.
Both the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP have given assurances to the comparatively small political parties of sharing power if they are voted to power in the next.
The BNP in its ‘state reform proposal’ has declared that if they are voted to power in the next, then they will form a national government with the political parties which will forge simultaneous movement with them.
Awami League sources said the ruling party has already taken an initiative to improve relationship with the components of the 14-party alliance and to bring more parties to the coalition.
Fourteen-party alliance coordinator Amir Hossain Amu in the alliance meeting held on December 8 said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that the Awami League would join the next polls under the alliance, meeting sources said.
Jatiya Party chief patron Raushon Ershad and its chairman GM Quader met Sheikh Hasina on December 13 and said their party is committed to continuation of the constitutional government system.
“For now, we will not join any alliance. But time will say whether we will form any separate alliance or not before the national polls,” Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the Daily Sun.
Krishak Sramik Janata League president Kader Siddique met the Prime Minister at her official residence Ganabhaban on December 23.
At the same time, Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh top leaders also held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 17 and placed some demands.
Some more political parties are also contacting the Awami League behind the scene and trying to get support of the ruling party or to join the alliance, the party sources added.
Prior to the 11th national polls, a political platform called Jukto Front was formed, led by Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury. The alliance remained inactive after the polls but initiative has been taken to revive it again to work along with the Awami League, party sources said. On the other hand, the opposition BNP dissolved its 20-party alliance at a meeting on December 9 and urged its allies to go for simultaneous movement along with them.
The components of 20-party alliance have formed two separate political combines-- one is named as 12-Dal and another is named as Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote. The two alliances have extended their full support to BNP’s 10-point demand and 27-point state reform proposal.
The 12-Dal alliance is comprised of Jatiya Party (Jafar), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, National Democratic Party-NDP, Bangladesh LDP (Shahadat Hossain Selim), Bangladesh Muslim League, Jamiat-e-Ulamaye Islam, Islami Oikya Jote, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Tasmia Prodhan), Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal, and Bangladesh Islamic Party.
The components of Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote are National People's Party-NPP, Jagpa (Lutfar), Democratic League (DL), Bangladesh NAP, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (Nurul Amin), Samyabadi Dal, Gono Dal, NAP-Bhasani, Islami Oikya Jote faction, People's League and Bangladesh Minority Janata Party.
Outside the two alliances, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Oli Ahmed also extended their support to BNP and announced forging simultaneous movement.
Another alliance named ‘Ganatantra Manch’ has been formed comprising seven political parties to wage movement against the government. They have declared 14-point demands and simultaneous movement with the BNP.
The components of ‘Ganatantra Manch’ are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party, Ganaodhikar Parishad, Bhashani Onushari Parishad, Rashtra Sangskar Andolon and Ganasanghati Andolon.
Democratic Left Unity, a four party alliance and Shamamana Ganatantrik Jote, a combine of 15 organisations also have declared that they will go for simultaneous movement with the BNP.
“More than 30 political parties will go for simultaneous movement along with our BNP to realise our demands, including resignation of Awami League government and holding the next national polls under a non-party caretaker government system,” BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told the Daily Sun.
The BNP standing committee member also claimed that many more political parties and alliance may also join their movement in the days coming.
The party has already formed a seven-member liaison committee to coordinate the political parties involved in the simultaneous anti-government movement.
There are some more political parties and alliance which yet did not extend support either to the ruling party or to the opposition BNP.
Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of seven leftist political parties, also remain in the street to realise their demands, including holding the next general election under a supervisory government.
On the other hand, five other leftist political parties are also going to form a separate progressive political coalition outside the Awami League and BNP polarisation.
The alliance is likely to be formed comprising Gana Forum of Dr Kamal Hossain, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal-BSD (Khalequzzaman), Oikya NAP (Pankaj)and Bangladesh JSD (Sharif Nurul Ambia).
Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Bangladesh Islamic Front, Islamic Front Bangladesh and Trinamul BNP led by Nazmul Huda also support the Awami League.
Some more political parties like Islami Andolon Bangladesh led by Peer of Charmonai Syed Rejaul Karim, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish did not join any alliance yet.
Some other parties, including Pragatisheel Ganatantrik Dal-PDB, Muslim League, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Zaker Party, NPP faction, Gana Front, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote, National Awami Party led by Ghani and National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Boby Hajjaj are also calculating their benefits to determine their strategy as they are not part of any coalition yet, sources said.
Source: Daily Sun
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