Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque on Saturday said there is no longer any scope for seat-sharing with Islami Andolon, though he noted that political understanding outside the electoral framework may still be possible.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Jamaat-e-Islami’s central office in the capital on Saturday (January 17). Earlier, he paid a courtesy call on Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
Mamunul Haque said Islami Andolon did not take part in the seat allocation process from the outset, leaving no opportunity for fresh negotiations at this stage. He added that the remaining 47 seats would be finalised following the same process already adopted.
Under this arrangement, he said, the candidate considered strongest in each constituency would be nominated as the sole candidate. In constituencies where seat-sharing has been agreed, candidates from other parties will collectively withdraw their nomination papers in favour of the agreed nominee.
Responding to a question, Mamunul Haque said there appears to be no possibility of changes before January 19. Following Islami Andolon’s recent press conference, the 10-party alliance is now planning its strategy assuming Islami Andolon will contest all 300 seats, he added.
Asked about concerns raised at Islami Andolon’s press briefing over whether Islamist parties within the 10-party alliance were “on the right path,” Mamunul Haque said his party believes it is on the right track. “Everyone’s feelings may not be the same. We respect differing views,” he said.
When asked whether there was any conspiracy behind Islami Andolon ultimately staying out of the alliance, the Khelafat Majlis chief said he did not believe so. Rather, he described the failure to contest the election together as a collective shortcoming.
Another question referred to allegations made at Islami Andolon’s press conference that Jamaat-e-Islami would not implement Sharia law even if it came to power. Clarifying the issue, Mamunul Haque said Jamaat’s ameer had meant that given the country’s current constitutional and political framework, it is not possible to implement Sharia law overnight.
“Politics has to move forward step by step within constitutional obligations. That is what Jamaat’s ameer was referring to, and there is no contradiction in that statement,” he said.
Asked whether Islami Andolon’s withdrawal from the seat-sharing arrangement could affect the upcoming election, Mamunul Haque said all parties had jointly called for unity and had not deviated from that commitment. “So we do not think it will have a significant impact,” he added.
