Jamaat to announce final seat-sharing deal within days
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has indicated that a long-awaited final settlement on seat sharing within its multi-party alliance is imminent, raising expectations that weeks of uncertainty inside the bloc may soon give way to a clearer electoral map ahead of February’s 13th parliamentary elections.
Speaking to reporters on Monday after a meeting with a delegation from the European Union’s Election Observation Mission, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the alliance would announce its final decision “tomorrow or the day after.”
“If not within tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. You will receive an invitation. We will come before everyone together,” he said, when asked to specify the timing of the announcement.
His remarks mark the most concrete indication yet that negotiations inside the 11-party coalition — widely seen as one of the most consequential political formations to emerge after the 2024 mass uprising — are approaching a conclusion.
Dr Shafiqur said the meeting with the EU delegation focused on whether a level playing field exists ahead of the polls and whether political parties are facing specific challenges.
“They asked whether there are any concrete challenges or complaints. We said there are,” he told reporters. “But we do not want to inform them first.
Those responsible for resolving these issues must be informed first — primarily the Election Commission. It is the government’s responsibility to provide meaningful cooperation to the Election Commission.”
He added that if concerns are resolved after being raised with the authorities, the alliance would not take them further. “If we do not get solutions, then we will inform the public. Then you [the EU] will also know.”
The comments came as seat-sharing negotiations within the Jamaat-led bloc have increasingly exposed not only tactical disputes but deeper questions about the cohesion and durability of the post-uprising alliance itself.
Formed in the aftermath of the 2024 uprising, the coalition initially brought together several Islamist parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khilafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish, Khilafat Andolon and Nezam-e-Islam Party, which announced their joint journey in May last year. With the later inclusion of JAGPA and the Bangladesh Development Party, it became an eight-party bloc frequently visible in coordinated street programmes.
The entry of the youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) and two other groups expanded it into an 11-party coalition — but also shifted its centre of gravity from ideological affinity to electoral arithmetic.
That shift is now testing the alliance.
Although central leaders of several parties say that “some decisions” have been reached, no comprehensive, final seat-sharing formula has yet been made public. All partners have already submitted nomination papers, a move that has effectively transferred the burden of compromise from closed-door meetings to the field, where frustration among aspirants and activists is increasingly visible.
Party insiders confirm that repeated meetings have failed to produce a swift settlement. The delay itself has become a source of tension. Field-level leaders complain that uncertainty is disrupting early campaigning, weakening coordination and encouraging parallel preparations — as if a unified electoral plan may never fully materialise.
The most sensitive fault line runs through Islami Andolon Bangladesh, one of the alliance’s older partners. Media reports have suggested the party is dissatisfied with the number of seats it is likely to receive.
According to party sources, activists are particularly unhappy with the idea of contesting in only around 35 constituencies. Islami Andolon has submitted nomination papers in 272 seats — a move widely interpreted as leverage, either to strengthen its hand in negotiations or to keep open the option of a broader independent contest.
Publicly, however, its leadership has sought to downplay numerical demands. The party’s spokesperson and senior joint secretary general, Gazi Ataur Rahman, said Islami Andolon has not fixed any seat target.
“We are not asking for a specific number of seats. We are discussing some reasonable criteria. On that basis, adjustments will be made,” he said, adding that priority could be given to top leaders and candidates believed to be stronger in their respective constituencies.
He also dismissed suggestions that the inclusion of NCP had unsettled his party, insisting that Islami Andolon stands with what he described as pro-uprising political forces. Even so, multiple alliance sources acknowledge that rumours of a possible withdrawal circulated in recent days, reflecting unease within the bloc.
Insiders say Islami Andolon is seeking a significantly larger share — figures of around 120 seats have been mentioned — which Jamaat leaders reportedly find difficult to accommodate, arguing that the party lacks sufficient grassroots strength in many constituencies.
Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar told this correspondent that Jamaat has prepared to contest all 300 seats if necessary, though it remains open to ceding a substantial number if a workable agreement is reached.
“If any party leaves, it will not have a major impact on Jamaat’s overall strategy,” he said, while indicating that Jamaat could give up as many as 100 seats under a viable arrangement.
Discontent is not limited to Islami Andolon. Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish, which initially sought dozens of constituencies, has so far reportedly secured only a small fraction. Its spokesperson and joint secretary general, Jalaluddin Ahmed, acknowledged frustration among activists, saying that an earlier settlement would have allowed candidates more time to organise.
“We are a bit behind compared to others,” he said, expressing hope that a final decision would ease internal grievances.
Smaller partners are said to be even more constrained. Media reports suggest Nezam-e-Islam and Khilafat Andolon may have secured only two seats each, while BDP and JAGPA could be limited to a single constituency apiece. The newer NCP, despite initially aiming for more than 50 seats, is currently understood to have provisional understandings on around two dozen.