The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporters

Awami League (AL) and Jatiya Party (JP) yesterday reached a consensus over the formation of their coalition to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls and formation of government unitedly if the grand alliance was voted to power ending all the rumours and political drama.

After a lengthy bilateral meeting AL spokesperson and Joint Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and JP Acting Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud at a joint press briefing disclosed this at the AL president Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office.

Both of them voiced for continuing to work as usual to ensure victory in the national polls to establish Bangladesh as a corruption-free and non-communal state.

Anisul Islam Mahmud said, "Some confusion was created over the coalition of AL and JP. But we want to make it clear that there is no misunderstanding among us. Our ultimate destination is to earn the victory in the national polls."

Syed Ashraful Islam said AL, JP and all other partners of the grand alliance were promised to work together to establish build up Bangladesh as a strong democratic country. " We hope that the countrymen will vote us to resume the office," he added.

Replying to a question Ashraf confessed that there were some disagreements between them. But these were too silly to resolve very soon.

Asked about JP chief HM Ershad's statement after the party's presidium meeting in the evening that JP would quit the grand alliance if AL did not relinquish 60 seats for them and would not make him president, Anisul Islam Mahmud seemed puzzled.

Ashraful Islam said after finalisation of the symbol-allocation process names of all candidates of the JP, AL and other components of the grand alliance would be disclosed to all.

Various rumors and apprehensions ran high across the country that JP is quitting the grand alliance after JP leaders did not come to attend a scheduled meeting with AL in the morning at the Dhanmondi office and after statements of HM Ershad in the afternoon.

Prior to the bilateral meeting HM Ershad after the party's presidium meeting cautioned that his party would quit AL led electoral alliance if AL did not relinquish 60 seats for his party and did not make him the president. Earlier the scheduled meeting between AL and JP was postponed yesterday as JP did not attend the meeting at the AL president Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi that was the third consecutive day for negotiations aiming to settle the issue.

Although JP did not attend the meeting AL was still hopeful to reach a consensus over seat-sharing deal and keeping JP in the grand alliance.

AL presidium member Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Begum Matia Chowdhury and

Joint Secretary and AL spokesman Syed Ashraful waited till 12-40pm for the JP leaders at the meeting.

While coming out from the office Syed Ashraful Islam said there was no doubt keeping the JP in the grand alliance. There was no scope of misunderstanding between AL and JP. The unity of all the partners was still remaining unchanged.

He declined to make any comment on JP leaders failure to attend the meeting scheduled for 10-30am yesterday, but said discussions were going on with JP and hinted at positive outcome.

According to the party source the leaders of both the parties were bargaining to secure more seats for their respective parties had been continuing for the last few days without bearing any fruit."

Another party source said after postponing the meeting scheduled in the early part of the day, some presidium members of the AL and two delegates of JP sat in a meeting at the Gulshan residence of AL presidium member Zillur Rahman hiding this to reporters.

A party insider said in that meeting both the party reached in a consensus on the issue of seat sharing but there the issue of making Ershad the president if the alliance voted to power could not be settled.

JP acting chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud and presidium member Ziauddin Bablu attended the meeting, source said.

A party insider said, as yesterday was the deadline for submission of nomination papers for the national polls, both the AL and JP asked the party candidates to submit the nomination papers. If the parties can reach a consensus, the other candidates would be asked to withdraw their candidacy in favour of the candidates selected by the alliance.

As per the directive of JP central committee a total of 274 candidates submitted nomination papers across the country. They would withdraw nomination papers after finalisation of the candidature of the grand alliance, source said.