Seven Islamist parties brought together under the banner of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh last week plan to contest local government elections jointly, but disagreements over their existing political alliances are raising questions about the unity of the new platform.

Ataullah Amin, joint secretary-general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, which is also part of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, said the parties would contest local elections together and pursue other joint initiatives.

“In local elections, we will contest together. We will also take other steps together,” he told Daily Waadaa.

Besides Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party is also a member of the Jamaat-led alliance. Their participation in the new Hefazat-backed platform has raised questions about whether the seven parties can cooperate while maintaining their existing political ties.

Amin, however, said his party, led by Mawlana Mamunul Haque, had no agreement requiring it to leave the 11-party electoral alliance.

“There is no such understanding with us that if we remain in one place, we cannot remain in another,” he said.

He described the 11-party arrangement as an electoral alliance rather than a permanent political bloc, adding that his party would continue to demand implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict.

Amin said the party believed the electoral process remained unsettled because the referendum result had yet to be implemented.

“We will remain involved in the movement for the implementation of the referendum verdict and the July Charter,” he said.

The position has raised concerns within Hefazat itself.

A senior Hefazat leader, speaking to Waadaa on condition of anonymity, said representatives of the two parties had indicated at a meeting that they would leave the 11-party alliance but had subsequently failed to follow through.

“The day after the meeting, we saw them back in the Jamaat led alliance,” the leader said.

The leader also expressed doubt that Mamunul Haque would withdraw from the Jamaat-led alliance.

The disagreement highlights a key challenge for the new platform: whether the parties can coordinate their local election campaigns without reaching a common position on their broader political commitments.

On Thursday, October 22, seven Islamist political parties agreed to work together under the Hefazat-e-Islam banner, forming a 21-member liaison committee with three representatives from each party.

The parties are Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Islami Oikya Jote (Razi), Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon.

Their next meeting is scheduled for December 5. Amin said the parties would decide on their next steps after the meeting.

The initiative comes amid questions about the political relationship between Hefazat and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including whether the new platform could serve as a means of putting pressure on Jamaat-e-Islami.

A highly placed Hefazat source told Waadaa that the BNP had approached Hefazat before the parliamentary election with an offer of 30 seats. The proposed arrangement did not materialise, the source said.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Amin said his party would remain involved in the joint initiative.