However, sources within BNP said entering into an alliance with Jamaat, a party that sided with Pakistan during the Liberation War in 1971, was already a political liability for them. But, despite pressures from different quarters, they failed to cut ties with Jamaat because of Jamaat’s formidable vote bank, they said. Jamaat, which is no more a legal political party registered under the ElectionCommission, is a core component of the BNP-led 20 Party Alliance. BNP leaders also said political ideology or any decision or opinion need not match that of Jamaat to keep them in the alliance. BNP Standing Committee Member, Nazrul Islam Khan, who is also the coordinator of the 20 Party Alliance, while speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, said the tie is completely political, not ideological.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 16, 2019 17:03 UTC