BNP yes AL no

Main opposition mulls 30 seats for Jamaat, 10 for Hefajat in JS polls

The main opposition BNP has apparently agreed to contest the next parliamentary polls under a partisan government “if” it is not headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sources say BNP has changed its stance through behind-the-scenes dialogues with the ruling Awami League and has also finalised sharing of seats with its allies including Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefajat-e Islam.
This may appear for the nation as light at the end of the tunnel, but an amicable political solution is still uncertain. The AL is still very determined to see Hasina as the head of the interim government comprised of elected members.
The Daily Star has learned these from a number of senior AL and BNP leaders who have talked with several foreign diplomats, donor agencies and development partners in this regard in the last couple of months.
Insiders say BNP will ditch its demand for restoration of the caretaker government system in October although the party has long been demonstrating for it.
They say until then BNP would use the caretaker issue as a major “demonstration tool” to unite the grassroots supporters and prepare them for the polls. The party would issue a 24-hour ultimatum on October 22-23 to restore the caretaker system as the last pressure on the government, they add.
The main opposition will simultaneously keep in touch with foreign diplomats to put pursue on AL to form an all-party interim government headed by someone other than Hasina.
“We may even accept the Speaker as the chief of the interim government. But by no means we will take part in the elections under the government headed by Sheikh Hasina,” a top policymaker of BNP told The Daily Star preferring not to be identified.
POLLS PREPARATION
The BNP is taking all-out preparations for the next polls taking public support into consideration and a hope in mind that Hasina would not eventually head the interim government.
The BNP has likewise decided not to go for any tougher programmes like hartals and blockades until the end of September. The party wants to complete gathering names of the prospective candidates for the 300 constituencies by then.
It has been learned from different sources that BNP has already discussed the issue of sharing seats with its allies. The sources say 30 seats might be shared with Jamaat-e-Islami and 10 seats might go to Hefajat-e Islam.
The BNP has formed 56 high-level teams to visit each district by September to learn about the strength of its grassroots and popularity of the prospective candidates.
“Before going for tougher programmes, we want to resolve the intra-party feuds to strengthen the organisation and complete selection of our prospective candidates,” BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star.
“We hope all parties including BNP will take part in the next election to be held as per the constitutional guidelines,” AL presidium member Kazi Zafarullah said.

Source: The Daily Star