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Hasina-led coalition to take part in poll

Haroon Habib

DHAKA: The grand political coalition in Bangladesh led by the Awami League has decided to take part in the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 22 as part of its strategy not to allow the former ruling alliance led by Begum Khaleda Zia to get a walkover.

The grand coalition, headed by the former Prime Minister and leader of the14-party combine, Sheikh Hasina, announced its decision on Sunday after the Election Commission further shifted the last date for filing nominations to December 26 from December 24, promised to correct the voters' list and bring about more changes to depoliticise the commission and the bureaucracy. With this, the uncertainty over the elections to Bangladesh's 9th Parliament is almost over.

Insiders claimed that the first-ever mega political coalition in Bangladesh's 35-year history, dominated by secular parties, has taken the decision to participate in the election mainly to challenge the Islamist alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, which was set to go through a unilateral and non-participatory election.

Political analysts are divided over the prospects of a credible election against the backdrop of the politicised moves by caretaker Government chief Iajuddin Ahmed.

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