Islami Andolon skips seat-sharing press conference

Ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election, a press conference was scheduled on Wednesday (January 14) to announce the final seat-sharing agreement among Jamaat-e-Islami and 10 other parties. However, Islami Andolon has decided not to participate.

The invitation, signed by Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, assistant secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami and coordinator of the 11-party seat-sharing alliance, was sent to the media on Wednesday at 4:30pm, stating that top leaders of all 11 parties would be present at the event at the Diploma Engineers’ Institute’s Muktijoddha Hall in Dhaka. Islami Andolon, however, did not receive an invitation.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh Ameer Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim (Charmonai Pir) stated that they were neither consulted nor invited to the press conference, and as per their current decision, Islami Andolan will not attend the event.

Islami Andolon to Decide on 11-Party Alliance Seat-Sharing Today

Islami Andolon will finalize its stance on joining the 11-party alliance seat-sharing at an urgent central Majlis-e-Amela meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Party Secretary-General Hafiz Maulana Yunus Ahmad said no final decision has been made yet, as last night’s top-leaders’ meeting brought forth differing opinions. Several leaders noted that discussions on the pros and cons of joining the seat-sharing arrangement did not result in a decision. Some leaders expressed concern over lack of coordination and unilateral seat allocations within the alliance.

A senior party leader added that certain seats were allocated to other parties without consultation, and explanations about the source and reasoning behind these allocations were not provided. For them, mutual trust and unity within the alliance are more important than seat distribution.

The 11-party alliance is set to announce its final seat-sharing decisions at today’s press conference, but Islami Andolon’s participation will depend on the outcome of the afternoon’s central meeting.