Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Amir Mamunul Haque on Saturday said there is no longer any possibility of a seat-sharing agreement with the Islamic Andolan Bangladesh, although a broader political understanding among Islamist parties may still be reached.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the central office of Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka on Saturday, January 17, afternoon, following a meeting with Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Amir Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
Mamunul Haque said that since the IAB did not join the seat-sharing process, the remaining 47 seats would be distributed according to the existing agreement among the participating parties. Under this arrangement, the party considered strongest in a particular constituency will field the sole candidate there.
Responding to a question, he said that in seats covered by the agreement, all other parties would unanimously withdraw their nomination papers in favour of the agreed candidate.
He added that no further developments are expected before January 19.
Following the IAB’s press conference on Friday, he said, 10 parties are now preparing their action plans assuming they will contest all 300 seats.
Asked whether the Islamist parties among the 10 were “on the right track” after the Islamic Movement’s press conference, Mamunul Haque said his party believes it is proceeding correctly, while acknowledging that not all parties share the same views.
“Not everyone’s feelings are the same. We respect the opinions of others,” he said.
On whether there was any conspiracy behind the IAB’s absence from the final agreement, the Khilafat Majlis Amir said it did not appear so, adding that the failure to reach a united position could be seen as a collective shortcoming.
Another journalist referred to claims made at the IAB’s press conference that Jamaat-e-Islami would not implement Sharia law if it came to power. Responding, Mamunul Haque said the remarks of the Jamaat Amir had been misinterpreted.
He explained that Jamaat’s position was that political change must proceed gradually within the constitutional framework and that it would not be possible to implement Sharia law abruptly in a single step.
“There is no inconsistency in that statement,” he said.
Asked whether the IAB’s withdrawal from the seat-sharing arrangement would affect the upcoming election, Mamunul Haque said he did not expect any significant impact.
“There was a collective call for unity, and the parties have not deviated from that commitment,” he added.