Ershad to form new ‘polls-time’ alliance with 10 Islamist parties

Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman HM Ershad on Friday announced the formation of a new alliance eyeing the next general elections. After a Presidium meeting in Banani, Dhaka, Ershad said that they would form an alliance with two small political fronts and the registered parties interested to join them. The party hopes to announce the full line-up of the new alliance by mid April which they hope would be an alternative to the AL-led 14-party alliance and the BNP-led 20-party combine. A JaPa source asking not to be named told the Dhaka Tribune that the party decided to form two fronts – one with Islamic parties and another with democratic parties. JaPa wants to make an alliance with 10 unregistered Islamist parties and 15 unregistered small political parties. After the meeting JaPa Secretary General JaPa Ruhul Amin Howlader told reporters they discussed internal party issues and polls-time alliance at the presidium meeting. JaPa has been considering forming the alliance with parties such as Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Nizam-e-Islam Bangladesh, Bangladesh Labour Party, Amjonota Party, Democratic National Awami Party, Awami Party, Bangladesh National Democratic Party, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Andolan Party, Islamic Democratic Party, Krishok-Sromik Party, United Muslim League, Gana Odhikar Party, Tofsil Federation, Jatiya Hindu League, Shachetan Muslim League, Bangladesh People’s Democratic Party and Islami Gana Andolan. Deposed military dictator Ershad had introduced state religion in Bangladesh in 1988, and in 2013 he actively supported the 13-point movement spearheaded by Qawmi madrasa-based radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam despite being the key ally of the 14-party alliance. Hefazat chief Ahmad Shah Shafi, who campaigns for Shariah law in the country, granted Ershad blessings when the latter visited the Hathazari madrasa in Chittagong before the January 5, 2014 elections. He later became a special envoy to the prime minister though JaPa is considered as the opposition in current parliament. Some of its lawmakers are members of the Sheikh Hasina-led Cabinet.