The newly-formed political parties, the Trinamool BNP, the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM) and the Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), are yet to play any significant role in giving the upcoming 12th national election a participatory and competitive vibe as only a handful of prominent political leaders have joined the new parties.

As the major opposition BNP and some of its allies have decided to boycott the election and, the government has been trying to create a competitive mood in the polls through the participation of the new parties which were expecting to recruit some prominent BNP leaders but could not convince them as many of them have gone to hideouts to escape arrest, said sources.

“No top political leaders are likely to join our party before the election as the nomination submission deadline will be over after only a day. Some 10-15 big leaders have joined our party so far. They will participate in the election,” Shah Mohammad Abu Jafar, acting chairman of BNM, told the Daily Sun on Tuesday.

Around 350 aspirants have collected nomination forms, from whom candidates will be finalised by Thursday, he said adding “We want to contest in 300 seats. We will not join in any alliance.”

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, chairman of the Trinamool BNP and former vice chairman of the BNP, told the Daily Sun the party sold 493 nomination forms. They will contest in 300 seats.

The party will not make any alliance with the Awami League (AL) but rather will contest against AL candidates, he added.

Shamsher Mobin wants to contest from the Sylhet-6 constituency.

Sources said there is a lack of competent candidates to contest in the election against the ruling party AL candidates. If no miracle happens by 30 November, the party cannot achieve the expected benefit from the polls. At the same time, they are worried about rebel candidates.

Meanwhile, insiders said the political parties outside the 14-party alliance, that have declared to participate in the election, want all-out support from the AL at the grassroots level. Some of them even want to contest with the boat symbol.

There is a discussion that around 70 seats may be allocated to the Jatiya Party, 14-party alliance partners, leaders who have recently been expelled from the BNP and Islamic parties.

Kalyan Party forms “Jukto Front”

The Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP), which has left out the BNP alliance, has declared to participate in the election, forming an alliance “Jukto Front” with the Bangladesh Muslim League and the Bangladesh Jatiya Party.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Syed Muhammad Ibrahim said they sold nomination forms to 100 aspirants. “I have collected nomination forms for Dhaka-5, Dhaka-14, Chattogram-5 and Cox’s Bazar-1 but will contest in two seats.”

BSP, led by Syed Saifuddin Ahmed Al Maizbhandari, is another newly registered political party. Maizbhandari wants to contest from Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-9 constituencies. The party wants to field candidates in all constituencies.