Bangladesh: Islamist parties forge alliance ahead of national elections

Dhaka, June 25 As many as five radical Islamist parties in Bangladesh have reached an agreement to establish a liaison committee ahead of the upcoming national elections, local media reported on Wednesday.

The five Qaumi Madrasa-based parties in alliance to form the committee are Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam, and Nezam-e-Islam Party.

Reports cited that the committee will be represented by two representatives from each party.

"We have taken the initiative to make the five Islamic parties float one candidate and one ballot box. That initiative is ongoing. The entire process has not been officially finalised yet," Jamiat Secretary General Maulana Manjurul Islam Afendi was quoted as saying by leading Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune.

The leaders of the five parties, he said, have been engaged in discussions to form a united Islamic alliance for the past several years.

"We have formed a liaison committee. There has been no clear decision on the election process. There are differences of opinion on how we will unite, where we will all go together, whether we will join a large alliance. This is where we are. The issue of a compromise among the five Islamic parties is under process. We have reached a consensus. But there is still a lot of discussion left," he stated.

Some reports suggested that the radical Jamaat-Islami Party, which had opposed the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh against Pakistan, has so far been kept away from the proposed alliance due to some disagreements.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh had on Tuesday issued a gazette notification reinstating the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with its electoral symbol of the 'Scales' (Daripalla).

The decision followed a recent verdict of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh ordering the reinstatement of Jamaat's registration, overturning a previous High Court judgment that had declared the party's registration illegal.

The interim government under Muhammad Yunus, which assumed power following the fall of the Awami League, had earlier lifted the ban on Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, through a gazette notification.

Last month, the country's Supreme Court had acquitted Jamaat-e-Islami' radical leader, ATM Azharul Islam after overturning his death sentence given by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh. He was subsequently released after spending nearly 13 years in jail for war crimes.

Azharul Islam was slapped with charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of the country in 1971.

The chargesheet stated that the radical Islamist party leader was responsible for killing 1256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during the Liberation War in Rangpur region, local media reported.

Analysts reckon that these radical forces had earlier worked hand in glove with the student leaders and Yunus to overthrow the democratically-elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

While expressing concerns at the surge of extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence and provocation in Bangladesh, India has also in the past urged the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities

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