Small parties readying for polls while AL, BNP stick to their guns

A number of small and little-known political parties are gearing up for the upcoming national election while two major parties — the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP — remain adamant about their conflicting positions over the arrangements in which the polls will be held.

Some of these smaller parties, not aligned with either the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance or the opposition BNP-led 20-party coalition, are even planning on fielding candidates in all 300 electoral seats.

Leaders of these parties told The Business Standard that though they are taking preparations for participating in the election, the country's current political landscape is highly volatile and divisive.

The BNP, along with its alliance partners, has demanded that they will not join the election if it is held on the watch of the ruling party. In contrast, the Awami League and its allies remain steadfast in their determination to proceed with the election taking place with the current government remaining in office.

Many of the smaller parties are also doubtful about the possibility of a truly free, fair, and participatory election if it were to be conducted under the governance of a party government. And this apprehension has led a few of these smaller parties to stand in solidarity with the BNP's demand.

Gono Front Chairman Md Zakir Hossain told The Business Standard, "We will definitely join the election. So far, we have not boycotted any election. However, we have not yet decided to enter into any alliance. If we do not join any alliance, then we will field candidates in all 300 seats this time."

"But we are moving with caution this time and analysing the current political turmoil in the country. We are hoping that this stagnant situation will improve soon," he said.

"We fielded 15 candidates in the 2018 national election, though none could win. Candidates got 2000-15,000 votes. Maybe this time too, we will get similar votes but we do not think of it as a failure," the Gono Front chairman added.

Zaker Party is also planning to field candidates in 300 seats. Ezazul Rasul, a standing committee member of the party, said, "We are an election-oriented party. Whatever the political environment, whichever way the elections are conducted, we will participate in the elections.

"We will field candidates in 300 seats this time. We are selecting candidates in the most democratic way, which has never been done before in Bangladesh. We will give nominations to those who have popularity among the grassroots," he said.

"In the 2018 election, we fielded candidates in 200 seats but none could win. Winning is not our only objective; we want to continue the democratic process and we do it peacefully," said Ezazul Rasul.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh said it will participate in the polls but also expressed concern that fair elections cannot be expected under a party government. 

The party's Secretary General, Maulana Manjurul Islam Effendi, said, "We will definitely participate in the elections. We will field candidates in 80-100 seats this time. Among them, 10-12 are heavyweight candidates and are very popular in their respective electoral areas. If the election is fair, they will definitely win."

"We want the election to be free, fair, impartial and participatory. But fair elections cannot be expected under a party government. That is why, like other opposition parties, we demand an election-time nonpartisan government," Manjurul Islam Effendi said. 

Bangladesh Islami Front demanded an independent, impartial and effective Election Commission so that ruling party men cannot influence the voting process in any shape or form.   

"We will take part in elections on our own. This time we have prepared a list of 115 candidates," said Bangladesh Islami Front Chairman Maulana MA Matin. 

"We do not know what will happen in the election. Both the major parties are adamant about their own positions. We are monitoring the situation right now," he said.

Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Bobby Hajjaj said, "At the moment, we are not a part of any alliance, but we still agree with the BNP's movement. No elections can be held under a party government."

"The 2018 election, conducted under the Awami League government, was marred by ballot stuffing and vote rigging carried out by ruling party men. They cannot be given that scope again," Hajjaj said.

Bangladesh Muslim League said it will not participate in the polls if they are held under the Awami League government.  

The party's Secretary General, Alhaj Kazi Abul Khair, said, "We joined the elections in 2018 at the request of Sheikh Hasina, the President of the Awami League. She assured us that the election would be fair and participatory, which did not happen."

"We have decided not to participate in any election under a party government. We still stand by that decision," he added.