Bangladesh polls: Islamist alliance in turmoil as Jamaat, Islami Andolan clash over seats

Dhaka: As Bangladesh heads towards the February election, the task of finalising a seat-sharing arrangement has become increasingly complicated within the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, deepening uncertainty within the newly announced coalition, local media reported on Thursday.

Both Jammat and Islami Andolan Bangladesh are reportedly fielding candidates in over 240 overlapping constituencies.

Jamaat and Islami Andolan — two of the largest Islamist groups in the country — had been engaged in talks for over three months to consolidate Islamist votes under an alliance of eight predominantly Islamist parties, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper The Daily Star reported.

Despite extended negotiations, the talks failed just short of the December 29, 2025, nomination deadline, prompting both parties to submit nominations in hundreds of seats, triggering turmoil within the alliance.

According to the Election Commission data, Jamaat filed nominations in 276 seats on the final day, while Islami Andolan submitted nomination papers in 268 seats.

The data revealed that Jamaat and Islami Andolan candidates are set to contest against each other in at least 240 constituencies nationwide, including seats contested by senior leaders of the parties.

Reports suggest that the Chattogram district has the highest overlap, with 49 constituencies featuring rival candidates from the two parties.

Dhaka follows with 40 seats, Khulna with 34, Rajshahi and Mymensingh with 33 each, Rangpur with 30, and Barishal with 17, while Sylhet has the least overlap, with eight constituencies.

The expansion of the alliance into 11 parties a day before the nomination deadline, to include the National Citizen Party (NCP) and others, reportedly escalated the tensions.

The Islami Andolan leaders voiced discontent with Jamaat’s seat-sharing plan, demanding more seats and criticising the emphasis placed on the newly formed NCP, which has been promised as many as 30 seats in the upcoming polls.

Acknowledging the strain, Islami Andolan Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad said, “We were together,” he said, noting that last-minute decisions had created a stir among several parties.

According to Ahmad, the original alliance members were not consulted before the inclusion of new parties or assurances of seat allocation.

“It’s not just Islami Andolan; Other parties were also displeased,” he said.

The rifts are reportedly more apparent in constituencies where top leaders are contesting against one another.

Meanwhile, the NCP is set to contest its first national election amid internal instability, following a wave of resignations over its decision to form an alliance with Jamaat.

This internal instability has left key structures weakened and exposed a leadership vacuum within the party.

A section within the NCP reportedly views the alliance with Jamaat as a deeply anti-ideological and politically ‘suicidal decision’, leading to a series of resignations, while many of the top leaders within the party have become inactive.

Bangladesh’s elections scheduled for February 12 are unfolding amid escalating political tensions, with rifts widening across party lines.

IANS