Two lawmakers-elect of the Gonoforum may take oath and join the 11th parliament, Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday. 

"We've rejected the election, but the way our two candidates came out successful in such an election through competition is their big achievement. So, we're thinking positively about sending them to parliament," said the Gonoforum chief.

He was addressing a press briefing at Bangladesh Shishu Kalyan Parishad after an extended meeting of the party.

Later, Gonoforum leader Sultan Mohammad Munsur, who was elected from Moulvibazar-2, told this correspondent that he and his party colleague Mukabbir Khan, elected from Sylhet-2, will take oath as lawmakers of 11th parliament.

Gonoforum is a key component of the Jatiya Oikyafront, which earlier had termed the parliamentary polls a farce and demanded the Election Commission immediately hold a fresh election under a nonpartisan interim government.

“We reject this so-called result. At the same time, we demand fresh polls under a nonpartisan government,” Dr Kamal, also convener of the Oikyafront, told the press hours after the polling was over at 4:00pm on December 30.

The BNP, another major component of the Oikyafront, said the next day that its leaders elected in the 11th parliamentary polls will not take oath as they have already rejected the results.

The party took the decision at a meeting of its standing committee alleging various irregularities and violations, including ballot stuffing and ouster of opposition polling agents, from voting centres.

Contacted yesterday, Mirza Fakhrul refused to make any comment on the Gonoforum's latest position.

“I am in Noakhali and I am not aware of any such decision. That's why I don't want to make any comment on this,” Fakhrul told this correspondent.

Another Oikyafront leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, who is also coordinator of Nagorik Oikya, told The Daily Star that the alliance leaders will sit at 11:00am today to decide whether its MPs-elect will take oath.

This is the first time any Gonoforum leader won in the national election since formation of the party in 1999. 

At yesterday's briefing, Dr Kamal said the two leaders of the party can play a positive and meaningful role in parliament after taking oath.

“If others think it won't be possible for them to play a good role in parliament, they may take a decision in line with that thinking.” 

In reply to a query, Dr Kamal said he thinks it will not create any problem with the BNP if the two MPs-elect take oath.

“I think the Jatiya Oikyafront will remain intact to create pressure on the government,” he said.

“We've formed the Oikyafront so that we can realise our demand for a free and fair election. We believe that if Oikyafront functions effectively, we'll be able to mount pressure on the government over the election and force it to discharge its duties obeying laws.”

The Gonoforum chief said that in principle, the party is in favour of keeping the unity and will take a positive decision in this regard after discussions.

He added that the Oikyafront has kept its movement on and it may be intensified further in the days to come.

Replying to a question, he said they may move the court over the election if they get the evidence of serious Electoral fraud.

In the December 30 polls, 280 candidates of Oikyafront and BNP-led 20-party alliance ran with BNP's electoral symbol “sheaf of paddy”.

The Oikyafront managed to win only seven seats and two of those were bagged by Gonoforum candidates.

The AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats. JP, a key component of the alliance, bagged 22. Independent candidates got three.

The election in Gaibandha-3 constituency was rescheduled for January 27 following the death of a candidate, and re-polling will take place in three centres in Brahmanbaria-2 on January 9.

Gonoforum leader Mukabbir Khan had initially quit the race as he was denied nomination from the Oikyafront.

The alliance nominated missing BNP leader Ilias Ali's wife Tahsina Rushdir Luna. But she lost her candidacy following a High Court order.

It then called back Mukabbir to contest in the election as BNP candidate. He contested the polls with Gonoforum's electoral symbol “rising sun”.

Munsur won from Moulvibazar-2 with BNP's symbol “sheaf of paddy”. 

On October 13, BNP and three other political parties formally launched an alliance called Jatiya Oikyafront, around two months before the national election.

The alliance unveiled an 11-point goal and promised to bring sweeping reforms in governance system if voted to power.

Three other components of the alliance are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) led by ASM Abdur Rob, Manna's Nagorik Oikya, and Krishak Sramik Janata League led by Kader Siddique.

Rob and Kader could not be reached for comments.

At yesterday's briefing, Gonoforum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu in a written statement described the way the December 30 election was manipulated and rigged.

So, he said, those declared winner by the Election Commission were not actually “elected”.

Police evicted protesters demanding fresh election under a non-partisan caretaker government in front of Jatiya Press Club this morning.

Around 40 to 50 people under the banner of ‘National Unity for Franchise and Good Governance’ formed a human chain around 11:00am demanding re-election under a neutral caretaker government, our staff correspondent reports from the spot.

However, police evicted the protesters soon after they gathered there and snatched their banner, said ABM Mostofa Amin, the convener of the platform.

“We cannot accept the kind of rigging that took place in the 11th parliamentary elections. We demand a fresh election be held under a non-partisan caretaker government immediately,” he said.

He alleged that police foiled their peaceful demonstration with a “logical demand”.

THE ELECTION RESULT

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance secured a landslide victory in the national election held on Sunday, December 30, winning in 288 out of 300 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad.

HOW WAS THE ELECTION?

Voting for the 11th parliamentary election ended peacefully in Dhaka; but was tainted with violence elsewhere across the country and cost the lives of at least a dozen people.

Reports of casualties came in from Cumilla, Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangamati, Cox’s Bazar, Bogura, Noakhali, Narsingdi and Gazipur.

Allegations of vote rigging, election clashes, intimidation and irregularities came in from several other constituencies and capital Dhaka city.

Also, the election saw opposition candidates boycotting elections in at least 43 constituencies; 42 of who were Jatiya Oikyafront runners.

Jatiya Oikyafront today decided to hold a mass hearing programme on February 24, bringing allegations of vote rigging, balloting stuffing and violence in the December 30 national election.

The Oikyafront leaders took the decision in a steering committee meeting with Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain in the chair at their Paltan office, according to a press release.

The steering and coordination committee members of the Oikyafront will hold a preparatory meeting on February 17 to make the mass hearing programme a success, it said.

Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today describing the BNP-led Oikyafront’s decision to boycott parliament as “politically wrong” reiterating her call to them to join the Jatiya Sangsad.

BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront took part in the December 30 national election and secured a total of eight seats including six of its key partner BNP.

Soon after the election, both the BNP and the Oikyafront rejected the polls result bringing numerous allegations including vote rigging, ballot stuffing and widespread violence during the election.

The eight leaders elect in the election have yet taken oath as the lawmakers of the 11th parliament.

Under article 67 (1) (a) of the constitution, lawmakers' seats fall vacant if they fail to take oath within 90 days from the date of the first sitting of the House.

It's Gonoforam chief Dr Kamal Hossain, not Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, who should quit after accepting his failure, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

He made the comment while addressing an election rally at Latifunnessa High School ground in Cumilla's Chouddagram.

The Jatiya Oikyafront leader failed to demonstrate his leadership, Quader claimed.

“Dr Kamal's words are even more poisonous than formalin. Not the CEC but you [Kamal] should resign,” Quader said.

He also asked why Dr Kamal went to meet the CEC if he demanded his resignation.

People will vote for “boat”, the AL's electoral symbol, in the national elections on Sunday, Quader said.

"The alternatives to 'boat' are petrol bombs, burning people to death, torching educational institutions and vehicles, and blocking roads," he added.

Meanwhile, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, joint secretary general of the ruling AL, alleged the BNP-Jamaat-Oikyafront alliance was distributing illegal money and spreading false allegations and propagandas to destroy the congenial polls environment.

He made the allegations at a press briefing at the party president Shiekh Hasina's Dhanmondi office.

He said Rab arrested three men with Tk 8 crore in cash and Tk 10 crore in cheques on Tuesday. Of them, there were a businessman and a former employee of Hawa Bhaban.

They were carrying a full list of voters of a constituency and that area's BNP nominated candidate's poster with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman's photo on it, he said.

The primary investigation suggested that the huge amount of money was intended to be distributed to instigate violence and influence polls, Nanok added.

Around Tk 150 crore was distributed across the country in the last two months, he alleged.

He also said, “Tk 200 crore was brought into the country from Dubai through hundi and illegal channels by Tarique Rahman.”

The incident hints a massive conspiracy is taking place against the country and Pakistani intelligence ISI's involvement in the upcoming polls, the AL leader further alleged.