Leaders of seven Qawmi-oriented Islamic political parties held a crucial meeting with leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam on Thursday at the Al-Jamiatul Islamia Makhjanul Ulum (Dhaka) madrasa in Khilgaon, discussing the possibility of participating in local government elections under a unified banner. However, no final decision was reached, and discussions will continue informally ahead of the next formal meeting scheduled for December 5.
The talks took place during a meeting of the liaison committee of the seven-party alliance. The constituent parties of this unity process include Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Islami Oikya Jote, and Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party.
The meeting was presided over by Hefazat-e-Islam Secretary General Maulana Sajidur Rahman. Running from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm, the session was attended by members of the seven-party liaison committee, alongside Hefazat's Organizing Secretary Mufti Bashir Ullah, Narayanganj District President Maulana Abdul Awal, and the Hefazat Ameer's son, Mufti Ayub Babunagari.
According to sources within the meeting, discussions focused on the structural framework of the seven-party alliance, operating under a common banner, relations with other political coalitions, and future lines of action. The upcoming December 5 meeting is expected to deliberate further on the policy guidelines and operational framework of the coalition.
Leaders participating in the meeting noted that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami intends to contest the local government elections independently. In this context, discussions addressed how the parties currently aligned with the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral coalition should approach the local polls.
