AL, JOF yet to inform EC about allies

Neither ruling Awami League nor opposition Jatiya Oikya Front informed Election Commission till Saturday about their political allies for the upcoming parliamentary polls as the deadline for the task expires today. 
JOF was yet to disclose whether it would participate in the parliamentary elections while ruling Awami League said they would request the commission to extend the deadline for informing it about allies in the polls scheduled for December 23.
JOF, comprised of BNP and other opposition parties and formed in October for holding free, fair and credible elections, held a meeting at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Saturday night to decide if they would take part in the polls.
‘Our decision about participation in the election will be announced before the nation tomorrow through a press conference at 1:00pm at National Press Club,’ BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters, coming out of the meeting about 11:00pm.
‘Jaitya Oikya Fron top leader Dr Kamal Hossain will address the press conference,’ he informed.
Awami League and its allies, meanwhile, started selling nominations papers in a festive mood.
Saturday morning, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader told a news briefing at the party chief’s Dhanmondi office that his party would request the EC to extend the deadline for informing it about its political allies.
Election Commission on Friday sent letters to all the registered parties in this regard.
EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told reporters that that the commission would consider about extending the deadline if any party applied.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other JOF leaders including ASM Rob, Zafrullah Chowdhury, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Subrata Chowdhury and Sultan Mansur were in the meeting. JOF top leader Kamal Hossain was, however, not in the meeting because of illness.
A top leader of new alliance told New Age that they decided to take part in the election.
‘We’ll not allow them (Awami League) to go uncontested,’ he said, preferring anonymity.
He said JOF would seek rescheduling the election.
Earlier on the day, BNP held two meetings with its policy making standing committee members and its 20-party alliance leaders at the BNP chief’s office. 
The meeting sources said most of the standing committee members were in favour of participation in the elections.
But a number of the standing committee members said it would be unwise to participate in the election without release of Khaleda Zia.
Liberal Democratic Party chairman Oli Ahmed, who presided over the alliance meeting, told reporters after the meeting that the alliance, if decided to take part in the election, would do so together with Jatiya Oikya Front. 
Oli said despite announcement of the election schedule, level playing field was not yet created.
‘Still BNP leaders and activists are being harassed with arrest and cases, which is hampering the election atmosphere,’ he said.
‘Election Commission has to address the matter and ensure election environment,’ Oli demanded.
In the 20-party alliance meeting, most of the allied party leaders were in favour of participating in the polls while five leaders, including Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Andaleev Rahman Partha, were against it without release of Khaleda Zia.
Mirza Fakhrul said that there was no option but to take part in the election to topple the autocratic regime.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Halim was silent in the meeting. 
The alliance called for creating equal opportunity for the ruling and opposition parties.
Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, along with most of the opposition parties, boycotted the 10th parliamentary elections, held on January 5, 2014, demanding reinstatement of non-party caretaker government system.
Awami League won the elections with a majority of the seats (154 in 300) elected unopposed.
On October 13, the new political alliance Jatiya Oikya Front was launched, with noted jurist Dr Kamal Hossain in the forefront and with main opposition BNP, Gono Forum, Nagarik Oikya, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, pressing for a seven-point charter of demands including dissolution of parliament, resignation of the government and release of Khaleda Zia and other political prisoners from jail.
Khaleda Zia has been in jail since February 8, 2018, in graft cases, which BNP said were politically motivated.
JOF held dialogues with the prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina on November 1 and November 7 on its demands, which yielded no solution to the problem.
Election Commission on November 8 announced election schedule amid protests from oppositions that the schedule should not be announced before resolution of the political crisis through dialogue.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net