Prime minister Sheikh Hasina receives a bouquet from Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon as the AL-led alliance leaders as she holds a meeting with the alliance leaders at Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Monday. — New Age photo
The ruling Awami League is yet to resolve seat sharing with its allies for the next general election slated for January 7.
At a meeting with the AL-led alliance leaders at her official residence Ganabhaban, alliance chief prime minister Sheikh Hasina tasked alliance coordinator Amir Hossain Amu, also the AL advisory council member, with settling the issue, several alliance leaders said.
Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon told New Age that alliance coordinator Amu would settle the seat sharing issue.
‘Several meetings will be held to resolve the issue until December 17 [the last date for withdrawal of candidature],’ said Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal–Jasod general secretary Shirin Akhter.
She also said that they would join the forthcoming election as an alliance.
‘Sheikh Hasina has told us that she wants more candidates to participate in the election,’ said Communist Kendra joint convener Asit Baron Roy.
Earlier on July 19, the prime minister and alliance partners held a meeting where the prime minister said that the Awami League would take part in the election in a coalition.
In recent times, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader’s statements created dissatisfaction among the allies prompting the leaders of partners trying to hold a meeting with Hasina, said alliance partners.
Rashed Khan Menon became lawmaker from Dhaka 8 with AL electoral symbol boat as an alliance partner in or the past three general elections in 2008, 2014 and 2018.
For the next election, the Awami League nominated AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim for the seat.
Nominations for two seats — Kushtia 2 and Narayanganj 5 — have yet to be announced by the Awami League. Jasod president Hasanul Haq Inu and Jatiya Party’s AKM Salim Osman are the lawmakers for the seats elected as alliance candidates.
Coordinator of the alliance and advisory council member to AL Amir Hossain Anu, Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtatrik Dal–Jasod president Hasanul Haq Inu, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua, Communist Kendra convener Wajed-ul Islam Khan, Ganatantri Party president Shahadat Hossain, Gonoazadi League president SK Shikder, Jasod general secretary Shirin Akhter, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation president Nazibul Boshor Maizbhandari and Jasod general secretary Shirin Akhter, Ganatantri Party central leader Shahidullah Sikder, Communist Kendra joint convener Asit Baron Roy and others attended the Monday meeting.
The AL-led alliance was formed in 2005 and came to power for three consecutive terms in 2009, 2014 and 2018.
New Age
