AL may not go for sharing seats with JP

The Awami League may not share any seat with the Jatiya Party in the upcoming polls, sources said.

AL President Sheikh Hasina hinted at this during her meeting with JP chief patron and Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad at the Gono Bhaban yesterday afternoon, they said.

Late last night, JP and AL delegations met to have their third round of talks on seat sharing. Leaders of the parties this correspondent reached out to for information refused to comment.

One of them only said the meeting was cordial.

On Monday, the prime minister expressed doubts over the main opposition in parliament staying in the race.

According to sources present at yesterday’s meeting at the Gono Bhaban, Hasina asked AL praesidium member Kazi Zafarullah, also co-chairman of the AL election steering committee, to convey her party’s stance to the JP.

She expressed annoyance at JP Chairman GM Quader for not publicly saying that the JP will take part in the election.

Only JP Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu has been speaking while GM Quader is silent, the sources quoted Hasina as saying.

The PM said she knows with whom GM Quader consults matters.

Sources said the PM, referring to recent meetings between AL and JP over share of seats, said that the JP had demanded 75 seats and the withdrawal of AL nominees and “AL independents” from those seats.

She questioned whether the JP could win 75 constituencies even without the BNP in the race.

During the one-hour meeting, Raushan, the widow of JP founder HM Ershad, urged Hasina neither to form any electoral alliance nor make a deal with the JP led by GM Quader, Ershad’s brother, sources said.

Raushan’s son Rahgir Almahe Ershad (Saad Ershad) MP, spokesperson of the opposition leader Kazi Mamunur Rahid, and Opposition Chief Whip Moshiur Rahman Ranga were present during the meeting.

Asked after the meeting what the PM had said, Ranga, who has been expelled from the JP, told The Daily Star that Hasina told Zafarullah that there would be no deal or alliance with the JP.

The Daily Star could not reach Zafarullah despite repeated attempts.

When a reporter asked AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader about Raushan’s meeting with Hasina, he said, “She [Raushan] is still the leader of the opposition. The leader of the opposition party can meet the leader of the House and also the prime minister.”

Pressed for more information, he said Raushan might have expressed her anger.

“But the prime minister did not tell us anything, and we have not made any decision about forming an alliance with Jatiya Party or going to polls elections under an alliance [with Jatiya Party]. So, we cannot say the last word about this now.”

GM Quader and Raushan’s conflict has been making headlines since Ershad died in 2019.

Emerging from yesterday’s meeting, Raushan told reporters that GM Quader had seized the party illegally.

Asked whether Hasina told her anything about taking part in the polls, she said, “The time is up [for doing that]. What else will she say?”

“The Jatiya Party chairman didn’t behave well with us. He is contesting from my son’s constituency [Rangpur-3]. He has forgotten about him [Raushan’s son].”

Asked if she would support JP nominees, Raushan said, “They have intentionally removed us from the race. Why will we support them?”

Kazi Mamun later read out a statement from Raushan, saying, “While finalising the party’s nomination, he [GM Quader] has dropped me, my son and important leaders of the Jatiya Party. He has taken the party’s leadership through a coup d’état.”

She urged the PM to ensure that the JP and its candidates run independently to make the polls more acceptable and competitive.

This is the first time in 27 years the five-time lawmaker is not running. She alleged that she could not take part in the polls despite being ready to run because GM Quader did not nominate tested JP leaders.

The 80-year-old had welcomed the announcement of the election schedule and had said that the JP would take part in the polls.

The JP on November 27 announced its candidates for 287 seats. It did not nominate anyone in Mymensingh-4, where Raushan is the incumbent.

GM Quader will run in two constituencies, including Rangpur-3 where Saad Ershad is the incumbent.

The JP nominated HM Shahriar Asif, a cousin of GM Quader, in Rangpur-1, where Ranga is the incumbent.

This angered Raushan, Saad and other JP leaders loyal to Raushan.

JP Secretary General Chunnu at a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday said the JP has no intention to quit the race as long as it is ensured that the voters would be able to cast votes freely.

Asked about the PM’s comment on Monday, Chunnu said, “What we can say is that we have come to take part in the election, not to quit.”