Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad’s announcement to form the 58-party alliance has caused severe resentment among the JP rank and file with many senior leaders terming the move ludicrous, saying that this would create serious credibility crisis for the party that is the main opposition in parliament.
Many even alleged that the move to form the Sommilito Jatiya Jote (United National Alliance) was taken in a bid to carry out nomination business ahead of the next general elections.
Preferring anonymity, a number of senior party leaders told The Independent that making alliance with these rubberstamp based parties undermines the JP and its Chairman Ershad’s image.
They also claimed that a vested quarter was instrumental in persuading the former president and party chairman to taka this path, which they said was ‘comical’ and ‘hilarious’.
JP Chairman HM Ershad announced the largest-ever political alliance in the country’s history, the Sommilito Jatiya Jote (United National Alliance), consisting of 58 political parties with the JP at the helm. However, most of the alliance members are political parties having no registration with the Election Commission or own offices and they are not known to the people.
However, some JP leaders claimed that the party did not forge the alliance with 58 political parties, and rather it has forged the alliance with two registered political parties and two alliances.
Talking to The Independent, a senior leader of the party, preferring anonymity, said the objective of the alliance is to do nomination business since the national election is approaching. “A political shop has been opened up by forming the alliance for trading nominations,” he said. He also said that the ‘mammoth’ new alliance would not be able to attract new voters.
The leader also accused two senior leaders of JP, who are close to party President HM Ershad, of secretly taking the party chief’s endorsement for forming the alliance ignoring the decision of the party presidium.
He, however, expressed his surprise over how Ershad has given his approval to the alliance ignoring suggestions by many leaders against such a move.
 “We did not want to forge such an alliance with parties that exist in name and signboard only. We wanted to forge an alliance by taking away some parties from the 20-party alliance and others that have either EC registration or established identity in politics,” the leader regretted.
“As the alliance has been floated with signboard-only parties from streets, now anybody, even you (the correspondent) can come to the alliance in the name of a party and take nomination in exchange for money,” he added.
The leader, also a former minister, said the Jatiya Party has its own strong identity but the formation of the alliance has destroyed it.
“The Jatiya Party and its chairman Ershad will have to face crisis in their existence in future due to this move,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Presidium Member Sunil Shuvo Roy said the party has formed the alliance with two registered parties and two alliances, not with 58 parties.
“We have formed the alliance comprising two registered parties-Jatiya Party and Islami Front and two alliances— Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) and Jatiya Islami Mohajote, not with 58 parties,” he clarified.
“Our alliance partners only four in number and not 58. We know and talk to only six leaders of our three component parties—Islamic Front, BNA and Jatiya Islami Mohajote,” he claimed.
Roy rejected the allegation that the alliance has been formed for ‘nomination trade’ saying that the election is yet to come around and the nomination is given by the party’s parliamentary board through interviews and assessing the candidates’ qualities.
He argued that the party chairman had taken the initiative to form an alliance many days ago and the members were taken into the alliance with his approval.
Talking to this correspondent, chairman of a political party under the banner of 22-party alliance named BNA led by Bangladesh Labour Party, said there are only three to four parties among the 22 who are active in politics and the remaining parties in the BNA have even no offices or workers.
He said the BNA was forged after seven to eight political parties left the Barrister Nazmul Huda-led alliance in the same name and banner. Later, they extended the size of the alliance by adding more members and finally joined the JP led United National Alliance.
When asked about the secretary general of the BNA, Bangladesh Labour Party Secretary Akhter Hossain said they are yet to elect anyone for the post, but he is currently acting as the chief coordinator of the BNA.
The alliance namely Sommilito Jatiya Jote (United National Alliance) comprises the JP, the Bangladesh Islami Front and two alliances, Jatiya Islami Mohajote consisting 34 small parties and Bangladesh Jatiya Jote (BNA) comprising 22 small parties.
The Jatiya Islami Mohajote comprises Peoples Justice Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Federation, Bangladesh Islamic Liberal Party, Jatiya Sharia Andolon, Jatiya Ganatantrik League, Bangladesh Janata Party, Bangladesh Islam Janakallyan Party, Bangladesh United Islamic Party, Jomiyet-e-Muslimin Bangladesh, NAP BHasani, Khelafat Sangram Parishad, Bangladesh Manobadhiker Party, Bangladesh Islami Gana Andolon, Jatiya Islami Andolon, Jomiyet-e-Ulema Party, Jatiya Islamic Movement, Khelafat Andolon Bangladesh, Insaniat Party Bangladesh, Khelafat Bastobayon Party, Islami Akida Songrokkhon Party, Islami Mullobodh Songrokkhon Party, Islami Front Bangladesh, Muslim Janata Party, Islami Akida Songrokkhon Andolon, Khemote Khalq Party, Ulema Mashayekh Somonnoya Parishad, United Islamic Front, Bangladesh Islami Party, Islami Samaj Kallyan Andolon, Bangladesh Ittehadul Muslemin Party, Bangladesh Kelafatul Ummah, Jatiya Akimuddin Mojlish and Bangladesh Social Development Boi Party. The BNA comprises Bangladesh Labour Party, Ganatantrik National Awami Party, Amjanata Party, Bangladesh National Democratic Party, Awami Party Bangladesh,  Bangladesh Ganatantrik Andolon, Islamic Democratic Party, Bangladesh Protibadi Janata Party, Bangladesh Tofsil Federation, Bangladesh Sacheton Hindu Party, United Muslim League, Bangladesh Ganajagaran Party, Bangladesh Grameen Party, Bangladesh Islamic Ganatantrik League, Trinomul League, Gana Adhiker Party, Bangladesh National Minority Party, Bangladesh Peoples Democratic Party, Bangladesh Janata Front, Jatiya Hindu League, Bangladesh Social Democratic Party and Peoples Socialist of Bangladesh.