Electoral atmosphere is getting momentum across the country as the number of political parties willing to join the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) is increasing every day.
Since the announcement of the polls schedule on November 15, most of the political parties have expressed their willingness to participate in the election while many others are getting prepared for joining it.
Meanwhile, most of the political parties willing to participate in the JS polls have started sale of nomination forms to their own party aspirants.
Alongside political leaders, hundreds of aspirants, including film starts, actors, actresses and media personnel have been collecting nomination forms from different parties.
Centring the sale of nomination forms, all the party offices are seen overcrowded with the presence of party leaders, activists and supporters.
Accordingly, festivities remain at the grassroots levels as well.
Alongside the ruling Awami League, main opposition in the parliament Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party (Manju), Samyabadi Dal, Ganotantri Party, Gano Forum, National Awami Party (NAP), Tarikat Federation and all other partners of the AL-led 14-party alliance have announced their willingness to participate in the JS polls.
Besides, Trinamool BNP will participate in the JS poll in alliance with the ‘Progressive Islamist Alliance’ and some other political parties.
The ‘Progressive Islamist Alliance’ comprising 15 political parties—Islamic Ganotantrik Party, Nejame Islam, Bangladesh Gano Azadi League, Bangladesh Tarikat Front, Bangladesh Democratic Party, Bangladesh National Democratic League, Bangladesh Janamat Party, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Janata Dal, Islami Liberal Party, Janatar Kotha Bole, Bangladesh Swadhin Party, Bangladesh Ganotantra Manobik Party, Sadharan Oikya Andolan, Bangladesh Islamic Ganotantrik League and Bangladesh Islamic Democratic Forum.
Besides, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Krishok-Shramik-Janata League and Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) have also decided to join the polls.
In the latest development, the Islami Oikya Jote, another alliance comprising some Islamist parties, on Monday announced that it will also take part in the next JS polls.
At a press conference held at the Jatiya Press Club Moulana Abul Hasnat Amini, the chairman of the Islami Oikya Jote said that they would participate in the next JS polls and expressed their hopes that the election will be held in a free and fair manner.
Another political party named Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM) also announced on Monday that the party will participate in the next JS polls through giving nomination to 300 candidates in all the 300 seats across the country.
Dr Mohammad Shahjahan, secretary general of the party, at a press conference in the afternoon at Jatiya Press Club said they would not fight the polls alone.
According to sources, on the third day of party nomination sale, the ruling Awami League has sold 733 forms to the party aspirants.
Among them, 24 aspirants collected forms online while 709 others collected the forms from the AL's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.
A total of 3019 forms were sold in the three days as earning is Taka 15,09,50,000.
AL Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua said AL's nomination papers can be collected and submitted every day from 10:00am to 4:00pm till today.
Besides, the main opposition in the parliament Jatiya Party on Monday, on the first day of party nomination sale, sold a total of 557 forms among the party aspirants, said the officials of the Jatiya Party.
Like the AL and Jatiya Party, most of other parties willing to join the JS polls have also started selling nomination forms to their aspirants.
Mentionable, the EC announced that the 12th JS polls will be held on January 7. Political parties will be able to submit nominations for candidacies till November 30. The EC will scrutinise the nomination forms from December 1-4. Appeals against the nominations can be submitted from December 5-6 and nominations need to be withdrawn by December 17.
Electoral symbols will be distributed among the political parties within December 18 and election campaign will officially kick off on the same day. The campaign duration will end at 8am on January 5.
