There are various equations going on among the political parties of the country ahead of the national elections. This happens before all national elections. Since the fifth parliamentary election on February 27, 1991, it can be said that in almost all the parliamentary elections, most of the small parties have participated in the elections with the big parties in visible or invisible agreements. Since 1999, political parties have been contesting by forming an alliance-grand alliance before the elections. Even before the last 11th national election, there were many such equations. At that time, BNP reduced its trust in the 20-party alliance and created an alternative platform under the banner of Jatiya Oikya Front.
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) and National Democratic Party (NDP) have withdrawn from the 20-party alliance. On October 16, 2018, they announced that they had left the alliance. Later, they joined a coalition led by Professor Dr. AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury. Besides, former BNP vice-chairman and Khaleda Zia's foreign affairs adviser Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's first elected president and former state minister Golam Sarwar Milon, former minister Nazim Uddin Al Azad, among others, joined the party. That's how things happened at the time.
Basically, the big parties use different strategies to win elections. Smaller parties also play a strategic role. Smaller parties take refuge in the shadow of larger parties because they don't have the ability to fight on the field. Before the 11th parliamentary election, the country's two main political parties Awami League and BNP were surrounded by small parties. The big parties also pull someone closer and push them away, keeping their advantages and disadvantages in mind. There are many equations throughout the year before the 11th election. If you notice, the parties are doing exactly the same thing this time. From the beginning of the year, many equations started. There is a 14-party election alliance with the AL.
AL President Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the alliance in March last year after more than three years. The partners of the 14 parties have expressed anger secretly and openly that a proper assessment was not done after the 11th parliamentary election. Even then, the ruling Party AL did not pay much attention and did not take into account the anger of the alliance leaders. Another 16 months passed. But when the election was approaching, the AL was not in that position. AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold a meeting with the 14-party alliance partners on July 19. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence Ganobhaban. After the meeting at Ganabhaban that day, the central 14-party alliance became strong.
Since the meeting, the ruling coalition, which has been sleeping for a long time, has already held a series of programmes on the streets. The 14-party alliance will hold a meeting today. The central 14-party alliance will hold a memorial meeting marking the National Mourning Day and the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at diploma engineers institution auditorium in the capital at 3:30pm. Bangladesh Awami League Advisory Council member and central 14-party coordinator and spokesperson Amir Hossain Amu will preside over the meeting.
The opposition parties have not stopped ahead of the national elections. In other words, there are many equations going on in the opposition camp as well. There are many equations going on here, visible and invisible. The Jatiya Oikya Front, which took part in the national election under the banner of 'Jatiya Oikya Front' in the last election and under the leadership of Front leader Dr Kamal Hossain, was not active after the election. Under the leadership of the Front, BNP has seen the worst results in history. BNP senior leader and senior standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has publicly said that they should not go to the polls under the leadership of Dr. Kamal Hossain.
As a result, the vote is also over. Then there's the 20-party alliance. Earlier this year, it became clear in the political arena that the 20-party alliance was virtually non-existent. The distance between the two main partners of the alliance, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, became clear. The smaller parties with 20 parties form various alliances on their own. Some are active in the field forming 12-party alliances and some nationalist like-minded alliances. In addition, many other alliances were formed ahead of the elections. In the meantime, 'Nagorik Mancha' was formed with 11 parties. The 'Ganotantra Mancha' was formed in August last year. The Loktantrik Manch, comprising seven parties, started its journey, but in early May this year, the People's Rights Council left the stage. In 2019, the year after the 11th parliamentary election, 'Jatiya Mukti Mancha' was launched under the leadership of LDP President Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed.
There is no political equation ahead of the election. Charmonai Pir's party Islami Andolan Bangladesh was considered by everyone to be in alliance with the AL. After participating in the city elections under the AL, people understand this more clearly. But after boycotting the results and boycotting the election in other cities after being attacked in the election field, people have started saying new things about Islami Andolan Bangladesh. Meanwhile, after the death of Maulana Delawar Hussain Sayeedee, the party's Nayeb-e-Ameer has publicly sought prayers for Sayeedee and issued a statement on behalf of the party, there is a lot of talk about where the party is going now. Similarly, there is a lot of talk about BNP-Jamaat relations.
Especially after the death of Maulana Sayeedee, the BNP acting chairman and the party's secretary general issued separate statements. That being said, it's also part of the voting equation. Because even after the execution of Jamaat's Amir and Secretary General, BNP did not say anything, now it is making statements, so political analysts consider it a new equation in the internal politics of the opposition alliance.
JH
