An electoral alliance involving Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and ten other political parties has been formally announced, branding itself as an “11-party electoral unity.” However, despite a chair being placed on the stage for Islami Andolan Bangladesh Amir and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, neither he nor any representative of his party attended the event. As a result, the alliance currently appears to be operating in practice as a ten-party arrangement.

Leaders of the ten parties held a press conference on Thursday night at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, in Kakrail, Dhaka, to announce the final structure of the electoral understanding. Banners at the venue carried the slogans “United Bangladesh” and “11-Party Electoral Unity.” During the briefing, leaders said an agreement had been reached on seat-sharing in 250 out of the 300 parliamentary constituencies.

At the event, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman was seen shaking hands with National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, symbolizing cooperation between the two parties. The press conference was scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm, with preparations completed an hour earlier, but senior leaders of the alliance arrived around 8:40 pm.

Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Amir Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher made the formal announcement of the seat-sharing arrangement. He said Jamaat-e-Islami will contest 179 seats, while the student-led National Citizen Party—emerging from the July mass uprising—will field candidates in 30 constituencies. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, led by Maulana Mamunul Haque, will contest 20 seats, while Khelafat Majlis will get 10. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been allocated seven seats, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) three seats, Bangladesh Development Party (BDP) two seats, and Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party two seats. Taher added that while Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa) and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan are part of the understanding, their seat allocations have not yet been finalized.

Responding to questions from journalists, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman said the alliance had not collapsed. He clarified that this was not a formal coalition but rather an electoral coordination, and the absence of one party at the announcement did not mean a breakdown of unity.

Without naming Islami Andolan Bangladesh directly, he said one party had been involved at the initial stage but was not present at the event. He described the situation as ongoing discussions rather than a split, adding that regular communication continues and expressing hope that the party would eventually join the electoral unity.

Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh announced it would hold a press conference on Friday at 3:00 pm at its central office in Old Paltan, Dhaka, to clarify its position on the seat-sharing issue, according to a statement released Thursday night.

The press conference featured speeches by several leaders, including Jamaat Amir Shafiqur Rahman, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Amir Maulana Mamunul Haque, NCP Convener Nahid Islam, LDP President Oli Ahmed, and Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Ahmad Abdul Qader. The event was moderated by the alliance’s coordinator and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General HM Hamidur Rahman Azad. Leaders from AB Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Nezam-e-Islam Party, BDP, Jagpa, and others were also present. NCP spokesperson and former adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan attended the briefing as well.

After the press conference, leaders of the ten parties raised their hands together to signal unity, as supporters chanted religious and political slogans in the hall.

The formal announcement of seat-sharing for the 13th parliamentary election had initially been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon but was postponed. The delay reportedly stemmed from disagreements over seat allocation between Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh. On Thursday morning, senior leaders of ten parties met at Jamaat-e-Islami’s central office in Mogbazar to finalize the agreement—without Islami Andolan’s participation.