Tensions in Jatiya Party

Shafiqul Islam Sohag

Anxiety is brewing within the leaders of the Jatiya Party as negotiations with the Awami League over constituency allocations for the upcoming 12th national parliamentary election remain inconclusive.

Senior leaders, including co-chairs, presidium members, and sitting parliamentarians of the party, expressed concerns about the lack of progress in securing favorable constituencies. They fear a direct contest with Awami League candidates and independent candidates backed by the ruling party could significantly damage their electoral prospects.

One co-chairman of the Jatiya Party speaking anonymously to Bangladesh Pratidin, stated, "By announcing our participation in the elections with the ruling government, we have already been ostracized by anti-election forces, including those who chose not to participate. Now, we don't want to further alienate ourselves by competing directly with the Awami League's boat symbol."

He added that if the Jatiya Party fails to reach a satisfactory agreement with the Awami League, they may be forced to withdraw from the election entirely.

The Awami League and the Jatiya Party have cooperated in the 9th and 11th parliamentary elections, forming a grand alliance. They also reached an agreement on seat allocations in the 2014 elections, which the BNP boycotted.

The Jatiya Party has proposed a compromise with the Awami League in approximately 70 constituencies ahead of the upcoming general election. This marks a departure from their previous strategy of seeking an alliance with the ruling party.

In a meeting held last Wednesday, Jatiya Party representatives expressed their satisfaction with a compromise in 35 to 40 constituencies. This represents a significant demand compared to the initial discussions of a compromise in over 20 constituencies.

While both parties initially downplayed the nature of their discussions, sources close to both sides suggest that further meetings are likely to be held to finalize the constituency allocation agreement.

Sources claimed that Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, who is also a member of the 14-party alliance's constituency distribution committee, is expected to lead the negotiations on behalf of the ruling party.

Jatiya Party is likely to push for an increase in the number of allocated constituencies, but Awami League reportedly prefers to limit concessions to no more than 25.

Significantly, the Jatiya Party is unwilling to compromise on the 23 constituencies it currently holds. This contrasts with the 2018 elections, where the Awami League granted concessions to the Jatiya Party in 27 constituencies.

(The report was published on print and online versions of the Bangladesh Pratidin on December 09 and rewritten in English by Tanivir Raihan)