12th National Parliament Elections: Alliance partners await seat sharing with Awami League  

It was ultimately decided to proceed with the voting process through Awami League’s seat agreement with the 14-party alliance partners. This decision was reached during a meeting of the top leaders of the alliance, led by Sheikh Hasina, on Monday night.

However, the specific details of the seats that the ruling party will concede were not disclosed, and the timing of the negotiations was also not specified, leaving the alliance partners in anticipation. 

The meeting of the 14-party alliance, held at Ganabhaban, began with leaders from the 14 parties congratulating Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with flowers for winning the ‘Asia Climate Mobility Champion Leader Award’.

Following the meeting, informal discussions took place between the Prime Minister and the leaders of the partner parties during a dinner event. 

Sources involved in the meeting indicate that if an agreement is reached on seat allocation, prominent leaders of the partner parties will contest with the boat symbol, leading to the withdrawal of Awami League candidates in those constituencies. 

However, there won’t be efforts from Awami League to withdraw their candidates in areas where independent candidates from their party are running.

The issue of independent candidates was raised during the meeting, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that she would not personally request anyone to step down.  

She emphasised that the encouragement for standing as independents was to boost voter turnout and create a festive atmosphere during the elections. 

Related sources reveal the formation of a committee comprising four Awami League leaders. This committee, coordinated by 14-party alliance coordinator Amir Hossain Amu, also includes Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, party Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim.  

The committee will be responsible for determining the number of seats to be allocated to the partner parties.  

The committee members will engage in further discussions with the alliance partners, and subsequently, the finalised seat distribution list will be submitted to the head of the alliance, Sheikh Hasina.  

During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina expressed the urgency of reaching an agreement on seat allocation soon, but also mentioned her willingness to address any issues that may arise.  

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader is scheduled to provide a briefing to the journalists about the outcomes of the 14-party alliance meeting on Tuesday afternoon.