BNP leaders for expanding JOF

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders think that a greater effective political alliance should be formed expanding the Jatiya Oikya Front as the opposition alliance apparently failed to yield any tangible political mileage centring the 11th parliamentary polls. 
People are in doubt about the front following Gono Forum leader Sultan Muhammad Mansur Ahmed’s swearing in as a lawmaker defying the decision of the party and the front, BNP leaders said while talking to New age in past few days. 
The front held only two Dhaka-based programmes — wearing of black badge in front of National Press Club on February 6 and mass hearing on the December 30 general election on February 22 — protesting at widespread fraud and flaws that marred the polls. 
BNP chairperson’s advisory council member Taimur Alam Khondokar told New Age on Tuesday Gono Forum leader Sultan Mansur’s taking oath caused people to doubt the existence of the front.
Sultan, also former Dhaka University Central Students’ Union vice-president, took oath on March 7 while the front getting only eight of the 300 seats — BNP six and Gono Forum two — rejected the polls results, decided not to take oath and demanded fresh elections under a neutral government.
Taimur said that a greater unity, irrespective of left- or right-leaning parties, must be forged to restore democracy and there was no alternative to the leadership of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for restoring people’s voting rights.
Khaleda was jailed for five years in a graft case on February 8, 2018 and sent to the old Dhaka Central Jail.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said that the Jatiya Oikya Front was formed for establishing democracy in Bangladesh and it would exist until democracy was established.
He said that the front might be expanded.
The front headed by Gono Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain was launched on October 13, 2018 with seven-point demands, including holding the 11th parliamentary polls under a neutral government dissolving the 10th parliament.
It also announced 11-point objectives, including establishment of an exploitation-free welfare-based Bangladesh with the spirit of 1971 Liberation War and balance of power between the president and the prime minister.
BNP joint secretary general Harun-ur-Rashid said that smaller political parties should be inducted in the front.
BNP publicity secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said that the party might decide in what format front would work. 
Its organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince said that still there was a necessity of the front for restoration of democracy. 
Many BNP leaders, however, wanted the parties in the front to clear their stance on launching tougher street movement for the release of Khaleda and restoration of democracy, the party leaders said. 
BNP assistant organising secretary Abdus Salam Azad said that the parties in the front should clear their stance on movement for freeing Khaleda and restoring democracy.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net