Tarique meets coalition leaders today; allies to focus on 'govern together' pledge
The meeting comes amid growing discontent among several allies, who say they have not received adequate recognition since the government was formed, particularly in seat-sharing and representation in government.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will meet senior leaders of BNP-allied parties at the state guest house Jamuna at 7:30pm today (20 July) in his first such meeting since taking office. Nearly 200 coalition leaders have been invited, according to BNP sources.
The meeting comes amid growing discontent among several allies, who say they have not received adequate recognition since the government was formed, particularly in seat-sharing and representation in government.
Against that backdrop, discussions are expected to focus on the current political situation, the government's performance and the future of the BNP-led alliance. Coalition partners are also expected to press for greater participation in governance, saying the promise of being "Together in the movement, together in government" remains unfulfilled.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, said six months into the government's tenure, allies were still waiting for meaningful recognition.
"We want to hear the government's future political plans and share our assessment of its performance over the past six months," he told The Business Standard. "The meeting will also clarify whether the government wants to continue its political relationship with the allies."
Echoing the sentiment, Gono Forum acting president Subrata Chowdhury said only a handful of coalition partners had been accommodated in the government. "We will remind them of the commitment to governing together," he said.
Some former alliance leaders who later joined the BNP also hope the meeting signals broader political recognition. Syed Ehsanul Huda, who dissolved his Bangladesh Jatiya Dal before joining the BNP ahead of the election, said he hoped the party would acknowledge his contribution to the movement with an organisational role.
Rashed Khan, who joined the BNP from Gono Odhikar Parishad, said he expected the party to continue valuing the contribution of former allies.
The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) has, however, declined the invitation, citing its reasons in a letter, sources said.
Nearly 50 registered and unregistered parties under four alliances joined the BNP-led movement against the Awami League government ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. The BNP later allocated 10 parliamentary seats to its allies, while three coalition leaders were appointed state ministers.
