Discord among key leaders of Awami League, allies

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Awami League’s (AL) move to form a grand electoral alliance is facing differences of opinion among key leaders in the party as well as in the AL-led combine.

Moreover, most of the14 parties in the combine have reservations about bringing Jatiya Party (JP) and any religion-based party in the proposed grand alliance.

AL acting President Zillur Rahman on February 8 told reporters that they are thinking of a grand electoral alliance and would soon start talks in this regard.

But a number of influential senior leaders apparently involved in a move to form a government of national consensus before the next parliamentary election did not take his statement positively, AL sources said.

Zillur spoke of a grand alliance on instructions from detained AL President Sheikh Hasina in a bid to divert attention from the move to form a government of national consensus before the election. The reason behind the move for a grand electoral alliance is to ensure victory in the polls and then form such type of government, the sources pointed out.

Some senior AL leaders suggested that the acting party chief leave the issue of forming a grand alliance now, and move forward to strengthen ties with components of the 14-party.

Ties between the AL and other components of the coalition have become fragile in the changed political situation since January 11 last year and especially because the AL had signed a five-point deal with religion-based party, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.

Gono Forum headed by Dr Kamal Hossain, a component of the 14-party combine, came down heavily on the AL and publicly said it no longer belonged to the coalition as the AL signed a deal with Majlish.

Although Zillur recently told reporters that Gono Forum is no more in the 14-party, the AL is now trying to reunite the coalition ahead of the much-talked-about political dialogue with the caretaker government.

The AL has already sat with Workers’ Party of Bangladesh and Samyabadi Dal to take a common stance on the dialogue but they did not discuss the issue of grand electoral alliance. The AL will sit with Ganotantri Party on Monday.

“We will first hold bilateral meetings with our coalition allies to formulate a common stance regarding dialogue with the caretaker government and then we will talk to other like-minded parties,” AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, when contacted.

They plan to form a grand electoral alliance keeping in view the next parliamentary election.

But the party central working committee or the presidium would take a formal decision in this regard, said Ashraf, son of acting president of Bangladesh during the Liberation War Syed Nazrul Islam.

Ganotantri Party President Nurul Islam said the 14-party coalition itself is not functioning now. And a grand electoral alliance could be formed comprising secular, non-communal and democratic political parties ahead of the next polls.

“But we have reservations about bringing Jatiya Party in the grand alliance as it did not clear their position on secular politics,” he told this correspondent.

Gono Forum Presidium Member Pankaj Bhattacharya however said they would never join any alliance which comprises autocratic ruler, war criminals and religion-based parties. They want a coalition based on principles and ideals, he said, adding they could even sit with BNP if it goes for secular and non-communal politics.

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