Frustrated, AL's allies face split

Frustration and resentment have created divisions within some left political parties in the Awami League-led 14 party alliance over the question of parting with the government and the alliance.

Within these parties, the most discussed topic is whether to remain in the union or to get out of it.  

In the past, left-leaning political parties often raised their voice on public issues. That was possible because they were never part of any government since independence. But their alliance with the ruling AL took them to power for the first time in 2009. As a result, they have stopped talking about people's issues and government failures.   

One school of left party leaders say they are under an existential threat as they cannot talk about public issues and criticise the government's “anti-people” activities. They include leaders from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Workers Party, Samyabadi Dal and Gonotontri Party.

For the other group, time is not ripe yet to cut the ties with the government, as it will encourage the anti-liberation forces. Also, that goes against the spirit of the formation of the alliance.

But those in favour of quitting say the 14-party combine, formed to realise a 23-point programme to establish a democratic country free from communal politics and extremism, hold direct election for reserved women seats in parliament and ensure employment for at least one youth of each family, has already drifted far away from its goal.

Leftist parties apart, most leaders of the HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party support parting with Sheikh Hasina's government. JP's status in the government is very peculiar. In parliament, it is the main opposition (Ershad's wife is House opposition leader) party. But it also shares cabinet posts and the former dictator himself is PM's special envoy.

For his party's dual role, Ershad several times announced that his party would quit the government to play an active role as opposition. The call got louder when Ershad made his brother GM Quader his second-in-command early this year.

After a party meeting on January 31, Quader said JP decided to quit the cabinet as his party's position was not clear because of its double role.

The issue of severing links with the government resurfaced after the JSD placed a proposal to this end at its council on March 12. Party Standing Committee Member Mustak Hossain placed the proposal, saying it was losing its identity and popularity.

He added the 14-party components were only following government's decisions as they had no scope to be a part of the decision-taking process.

Talking to The Daily Star, Sharif Nurul Ambia, president of a JSD faction, said it was a long overdue proposal and the issue was discussed in party forums several times.

"The proposal was also discussed at the council, but rejected ... Personally I think it is not yet the time to quit. But we failed to take pro-people stance due to our link with the government and we are losing our own identity," Ambia said.

The 14-party alliance came into being after the 11-party combine and the National Awami Party (NAP-Mozaffar) and the JSD joined hands with the AL.

The 11-party alliance was formed with Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Gano Forum, Workers Party, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Khalekuzzaman), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Mahbub), Ganotantri Party, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (ML), Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal, Communist Kendra, Gano Azadi League and Ganotantrik Mazdur Party. However, most of the parties later left the coalition.

After forming the 14-party alliance, the AL took Ershad's JP in its fold, terming the combine a grand alliance.

The issue of breaking away from the alliance was first raised within the Workers Party. Haider Akbar Khan Rono, former politburo member of the party, protested his party's decision to run in the 2008 elections with AL's polls symbol “boat”. He later resigned from the party. 

The division within the Workers Party intensified centring on the issue before the formation of the Hasina-led polls-time government in 2013. Party President Rashed Khan Menon was offered a portfolio in that cabinet, but he could not take it in the face of opposition from the party.

Later, party leaders, including Ragib Ashan Munna, Tusher Roy, Mojammel Haque Tara, left Workers Party, after deciding not to take part in the “one-sided” elections of January 5, 2014.

In 2013, Dilip Barua-led Samyabadi Dal discussed the issue. A group of leaders of the party then quit the party and formed another Samyabadi Dal. An initiative is now underway under the leadership of party central leader Harun Chowdhury to create new leadership within the party bypassing Dilip Barua.

Harun said that Samyabadi Dal was on the verge of extinction because of its ties with the government. "We could not take any pro-people stance as our general secretary is a minister." 

He said the decision to join the alliance was suicidal.

The issue of parting with the alliance and the government was also discussed in Gonotontri Party. At a party meeting in August 2014, the then party presidium member and now general secretary Shahdat Hossain and another presidium member Mahfuzur Rahman raised their voice to quit the 14-party alliance and also the government.

Party Presidium Member Nurur Rahman Selim said the divisions still remained.

Workers Party politburo member Anisur Rahman Mollick said if the situation continued for long, smaller parties' existence would be at stake.

Contacted, AL Presidium Member Matia Chowdhury said divisions within any political party were not expected. "The divisions created among some political parties are not for ideological reasons."