Tensions have boiled over in Bangladesh’s Islamist alliance, with Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) pulling out of the Jamaat-e-Islami front mere weeks before the national polls. The catalyst: a lopsided seat-sharing pact that IAB deemed insulting and ideologically off-course.
Friday’s press briefing by IAB’s Ghazi Ataur Rahman at Dhaka headquarters laid bare the grievances. Absent from the coalition’s earlier seat reveal for 253 constituencies—which they protested—the party vowed to run independently on 268 seats. Of their 270 nominations, 268 cleared scrutiny, and all will stand firm.
Rahman fired salvos at Jamaat for ‘arbitrary’ handling that eroded IAB’s dignity. This rift, brewing since nomination deadlines on December 29, saw both giants file extensively—Jamaat 276, IAB 268—after alliance parleys failed spectacularly.
The 11-party pact, three months in the making to rally Islamic support, now faces oblivion. Local analyses highlight how such discord could fracture voter bases, tilting scales toward establishment forces. As February 12 nears, the political chessboard resets dramatically.
For Bangladesh’s democracy, this episode underscores the fragility of opposition unity. Parties must now hustle for solo wins, while citizens weigh a crowded, contentious field. The outcome may redefine power dynamics long after the votes are tallied.