The Awami League is likely to sharing of parliamentary seats for the
national elections with partners in the ruling alliance in a day or two.
The ruling Awami League is thinking about sharing 10 parliamentary seats
with its partners in the alliance against their demand for 40 seats to
contest the national polls, scheduled for January 5, from the alliance.
The alliance leaders said that Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal
had demanded 18 seats, Workers Party of Bangladesh 10 seats, Ganatantri
Party 2 seats, the National Awami Party 2 seats, and the Bangladesh
Tariqat Federation 10 seats.
According to the Election Commission, scandidates of the Workers Party,
51 of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, 12 of the National Awami Party and 2 of
Ganatantri Party had submitted nomination papers. The Tariqat Federation
fielded 11 candidates.
‘Alliance partners are putting forth their demand but we are thinking
about giving 10 parliamentary seats more to alliance partners. The
matter will be settled in a day or two,’ an Awami League presidium
member told New Age on Sunday.
Awami League presidium member Mohammad Nasim also said that the issue of seat sharing would be settled very soon.
During an alliance meeting on Wednesday night, the partners primarily
decided that five lawmakers elected in the past national elections held
on December 29, 2008, three from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and two from
the Workers Party, will get alliance nominations.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal lawmakers were Hasanul Haque Inu (Kushtia 2),
Shah Jikrul Ahmed (Brahmanbaria 5) and Moeenuddin Khan Badal (Chittagong
7).
Workers Party lawmakers are Rashed Khan Menon (Dhaka 8) and Fazle Hasan Badshah (Rajshahi 2).
Awami League leaders also said that they were holding discussions with
the Jatiya Party faction led by Anwar Hossain Manju, which are not in
the alliance.
AL leaders said that JSD leader Shirin Akter for Feni 1, Tariqat
Federation leaders Nazibul Bashar Maijbhandari for Chittagong 2 and his
deputy MA Awal for Lakshmipur 1, might get alliance nominations.
After Wednesday’s meeting, the Awami League’s advisory council member
Amir Hossain Amu said that they would hold more meetings before making a
final decision.
An alliance leader said that Workers Party leaders were bargaining for
alliance support for Bimal Biswas for the Narail 2 constituency and
Mostafa Lutfullah for the Satkhira 2 constituency and Jatiya
Samajtantrik Dal leaders were bargaining for Shirin Akhter and Nazmul
Haque Prodhan.
Two hundred and ninety-seven Awami League leaders had submitted nominations papers . There are 300 constituencies.
The ruling party did not name any candidates for the constituencies for
which Jatiya Praty chairman HM Ershad (Dhaka 17), Rashed Khan Menon
(Dhaka 8) and Hasanul Haque Inu (Kustia 2) might contest the elections.
The Awami League’s general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said that
seat-sharing talks would be held with alliance partners to decide the
party nominations.
In the past national elections, the Awami League gave only four seats to
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and three to the Workers Party. (source)