Amid uncertainty over its continued participation in the electoral alliance, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) has announced it will brief the media on its position at the party’s central office at 3:00pm tomorrow.
The announcement came tonight after IAB was absent at the alliance’s press conference held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, where candidates for the 13th parliamentary election were declared.
Although it was written on the banner of the press conference that it was a ‘consensus of 11-party electoral alliance’, absence of IAB representatives suggested that the alliance might have been reduced to a 10-party coalition.
Speaking to The Daily Star, IAB joint secretary general and spokesperson Gazi Ataur Rahman said the party skipped the briefing due to divisions and mistrust within the alliance.
“Jamaat top brass is taking decisions one after another without consulting us, which humiliates other components of the alliance. It seems they have taken a go-alone policy,” he said.
“Why should we accept their authoritarian attitude for the sake of just some seats? We do not do politics only for seats. We tried our best to remain in the alliance, but Jamaat’s attitude left no environment for us to stay,” added Gazi Ataur.
Earlier this morning, leaders of 10 parties, including Jamaa,t met at its central office in Moghbazar to finalise seat-sharing arrangements — a meeting boycotted by IAB.
In a statement, IAB said the situation had not yet reached a point where a final decision could be announced regarding political understanding, as discussions were still ongoing.
The party noted that the journey towards an alliance, which began in post–mass uprising Bangladesh under a “one-box policy” of Islamist parties, had created expectations among the people, but discomfort had emerged along the way.