Awami League is in a strategic role this time with the vote of the alliance. The party, which has been in power for three consecutive terms, will not enter into an alliance with Jatiya Party if BNP does not come to the polls.

However, the ruling party will leave some seats to the partners of the 14-party alliance. Again, the leaders of the alliance parties will also participate in the vote with their own symbols.

Awami League has not yet announced any official decision about that. If BNP does not come, Awami League will encourage its alliance to vote individually even if they give up seats.

Two members of the presidium of Awami League said on condition of anonymity that a decision will be taken after looking at the situation. If the BNP comes to the polls, it will be different. That is why the alliance have not been informed yet. However, I have heard that the leaders of the alliance party have sent a letter to the party president asking for a boat symbol in the election.

Disagreeing with the two presidium members of the Awami League, Amir Hossain Amu, spokesperson and coordinator of the 14 parties, told Bangladesh Pratidin, “The vote will be a 14-party coalition. We will leave some seats for partners. The leader will decide in this regard. However, the leaders of the alliance parties can vote with their own symbols if they want.”

Meanwhile, in order to vote in alliance, the Election Commission-EC has been asked to inform by letter today. The Election Commission has sent a letter to the EC stating that among the 14-party alliance led by Awami League, Workers Party, Jasad, Tariqat Federation will vote. Jatiya Party-JP will give letter today.

In this context, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon told Bangladesh Pratidin, “We were in alliance, we want to vote in alliance. I had a party meeting. We have sent a letter to Election Commission-EC and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina.”

“We are preparing to vote in alliance as well as in our own symbol,” he added.

Sources from Awami League said that BNP will come in the election - Awami League is planning its action based on this assumption. The policy makers of the party think that BNP must come to the polls even for their own existence. If not, they will have to do the same outside the parliament as they did in 2014. On the other hand, there is a strong possibility of sitting in a strong opposition party when it comes to polls. Several leaders of the ruling party at the policy-making level claim that the party will survive.

The leaders of the party said that if BNP does not come to the polls for some reason, Awami League will follow a different strategy. In this case some seats may be kept open. Again in some constituencies relatively weaker candidates may be given.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) President Hasanul Haque Inu told Bangladesh Pratidin, “We will vote in alliance. I have already taken such preparations. We have completed all activities including formation of nomination board, manifesto drafting committee. I have written to Election Commission and Awami League president to get boat symbol in parliamentary elections. After a day or two, the final decision will be made regarding how many seats I will get.”

Another partner of the alliance, Chairman of the Tariqat Federation, Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, told Bangladesh Pratidin, “Our alliance leader keeps her promises. He has promised us that there will be a vote in the alliance. Hopefully we will vote with the boat symbol of the coalition. I have also sent a letter for this.”

Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak told Bangladesh Pratidin, “Party president Sheikh Hasina will decide whether the alliance will be a separate vote. We want all political parties to participate. We are making all kinds of preparations to increase votes. Our job is to increase the maximum number of political parties and voter turnout.”

Several Awami League leaders said that if BNP does not come to the polls for some reason, the 14-party coalition may not happen. In that case, Awami League will not field candidates in some constituencies. Among them, there are currently MPs in the seats where the top leaders of the alliance will vote. Because more registered political parties have to show participation and voter turnout.

(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 18 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)