Bangladesh Labour Party, led by Mustafizur Rahman Iran, is set to formally join the Jamaat-led 10-party alliance, with an official announcement expected on Saturday evening.
A press conference has been scheduled at 7pm at the Jamaat office, the alliance confirmed earlier in a statement sent to the media by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad.
Mustafizur Rahman Iran told TIMES of Bangladesh that the decision to join the alliance is not driven solely by seat-sharing disagreements with BNP.
“Our dispute with BNP is not just about seat allocation. I have been part of coalitions led by Khaleda Zia for 20 years since 2006. However, if BNP comes to power now, it may revive authoritarian tendencies similar to the Awami League, which contradicts our principles. That is why we are joining the Jamaat alliance to continue our anti-fascism struggle,” he said.
He added, “If it were just about seat-sharing, we might not have joined. Jamaat currently has nothing to offer in that regard. But to continue our struggle against Indian hegemony, we are joining the alliance.” The Labour Party had previously left the BNP-led coalition after failing to secure seats ahead of the election.
Meanwhile, talks are ongoing with Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikya and a key leader of the Ganatantra Moncho, to join the alliance.
Although Manna initially received a nomination for the Bogura-2 seat, BNP later finalised local leader Shah Alam as their candidate.
Manna reportedly declined BNP’s offer of a ministerial post in case of victory.
A source within Jamaat said, “Manna is contesting from Dhaka-18 and Bogura-2. After navigating legal challenges, his nominations have been validated. Jamaat is willing to give him one of these seats, but Manna wants to contest with alliance backing in both constituencies, seeking a guarantee of victory in at least one.”
Manna himself told the media on Friday that no formal discussions with Jamaat had taken place yet. “Political parties are busy negotiating alliances now. It’s difficult to predict who will go where. Talks with Jamaat have not progressed significantly, so we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
A member of Nagorik Oikya executive committee and former Dhaka Metropolitan president added, “Joining Jamaat without a clear seat allocation could risk Manna’s political career. That’s why he is carefully considering his options before making a decision.”
