Bangladesh: AL leaves 10 seats for partners


The ruling Awami League on Wednesday decided to leave 10 parliamentary seats for its alliance partners for the 10th parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5, 2014.
A meeting of the AL-led ruling alliance held at the prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban also decided to offer 60 seats to Jatiya Party faction led by HM Ershad, said a minister who also attended the meeting.
The alliance chief prime minister Sheikh Hasina finalised the alliance candidates and handed over to the 10 alliance leader letters requesting the returning officers concerned for allocation of ‘boat’ as their election symbol.
The ten alliance candidates are Worker Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon for Dhaka 8 and its leader Fazle Hasan Badshah for Rajshahi 2, Mostofa Lutfullah for Sathkhira 2 and Sheikh Hafizur Rahman for Narial 2, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Huq Inu for Kushtia 2, its leaders Moienuddin Khan Badal for Chittagong 8, Shah Ahmed Zikrul for Brahmanbaria 5 and Shirin Akhter for Feni 1, and Tariqat Federation leaders Nazibul Bashar Maijbhandari for Chittagong 2 and MA Awal for Lakshmipur 1 parliamentary constituency, meeting sources said.
The ruling Awami League shared 10 parliamentary seats with its allies alliance against their demand for 40 seats.
The alliance leaders said that Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal had demanded 18 seats, Workers Party of Bangladesh 10 seats, Ganatantri Party 2 seats, National Awami Party 2 seats, and the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation 10 seats. (source