Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president and decorated freedom fighter Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram, a long-time ally of the BNP, has joined the Jamaat-e-Islami–led eight-party alliance to contest the upcoming election. The announcement was made on Sunday afternoon at the National Press Club, where several other parties also joined the coalition. The alliance, led by Jamaat, remains intact as new partners are added.

According to the report, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is joining the alliance with at least 30 constituencies, while Islami Andolan Bangladesh, led by the Pir of Charmonai, is expected to receive a similar number of seats after previously threatening to leave if not allotted 120. Oli Ahmed’s LDP may receive six constituencies, and the AB Party is expected to get three to four. Jamaat is also revising its candidate list to accommodate new allies and prominent figures.

Jamaat has finalized retired Colonel Mohammad Abdul Haque for Dhaka-2 and is preparing to nominate Ahmad Abdul Kader of Khelafat Majlish for Habiganj-4, replacing journalist Oliullah Noman. A Jamaat source indicated that several surprises may be announced at the evening press conference.