Islami Andolan Bangladesh, led by Charmonai Pir Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, is set to quit the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance over the allocation of parliamentary seats.
The party reportedly opted out after failing to secure its desired seats in the ongoing seat-sharing talks.
On Thursday afternoon, alliance leaders attempted to finalise and publish the full 10-party seat-sharing list without Islami Andolan.
Earlier, around 12:30pm, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) vice president and party spokesperson Rashed Pradhan told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Senior alliance leaders are holding a meeting. The timing of the press conference will be announced afterwards. The candidate list will not take long to release.”
Islami Andolan Bangladesh had also failed to reach an agreement during a meeting on Wednesday night.
The party is expected to formally notify Jamaat and other alliance leaders of its decision to leave by Thursday. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Mamunul Haque is overseeing the matter on behalf of the alliance.
Gazi Ataur Rahman, senior joint secretary general and spokesperson of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh, told TIMES, “If fair seat-sharing is not ensured, there is no point in staying in the alliance. Seats are not the main issue; respect is. The decision on whether to remain in the alliance has not been formally clarified yet.”
Political leaders have said no final decision has yet been reached regarding a proposed political consensus in post-uprising Bangladesh, as multidimensional and multiparty discussions remain ongoing, according to a press release of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
Following the mass uprising, a political reconciliation process based on the Islamists’ “one-box principle” began in the new political landscape, raising expectations among the public. While the process has generated some unease at various stages, leaders stressed that it is still too early to make any definitive statement on an agreement.
They said discussions are continuing on multiple levels and with multiple stakeholders. Once a position is finalized, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, along with other political parties involved in the talks, will formally inform the nation.
The leaders also urged journalists to exercise responsibility and caution in reporting on the sensitive and evolving negotiations.
