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”.

Terming the prevailing trend of robbing the state wealth as horrible, Jatiya Oikyafront today said that the country and its sovereignty will plunge into a severe internal crisis if it is continued.

Jatiya Oikyafront, led-by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, thinks that such type of irregularities and misdeeds can’t take place unless government helps, said a press statement signed by Oikyafront leader Reza Kibria.

“It is now proved that the undemocratic government has pushed the country to the verge of collapse only to take the state power under its absolute control through indulging in irregularities and corruption,” Oikyafront said in the context of the ongoing crackdown on the casino and illegal business.

In the statement, Oikyafront demanded the resignation of the present government and called upon it to announce a national government to uphold the country’s independence and sovereignty.

The Oikyafront, in the statement, also said that holding of a national dialogue with political parties and professional bodies will be the time buffeting step to resolve the prevailing crisis.

It also demanded the formation of a national commission to probe the government’s indulgence in criminal activities including abduction, killing and enforced disappearance and corruption.

The Oikyafront also demanded the immediate release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and other political parties’ leaders from jail.

All contenders of the Jatiya Oikyafront in the 11th parliamentary polls will submit memorandum to the Election Commission on January 3 demanding re-election under a nonpartisan administration immediately.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain made the announcement after a meeting of top brass of the opposition alliance this evening.

“And, they will announce the next course of programme to press home their demand,” Kamal also Gono Forum president said.

The contenders from other opposition parties will also submit their memoranda to the EC office in Agargaon area of Dhaka on the Day, Kamal also said.

The photo shows that Jatiya Oikyafront top leaders attend a meeting at the chamber of alliance convener Dr Kamal Hossain in Dhaka on Monday, December 31, 2018. Photo:Collected

“A drama in the name of national election was staged yesterday and the countrymen perceived from their hearts that how the election process of a sovereign and independent country was destroyed,” Kamal said.

Apart from the countrymen, the people across the globe have also saw the role of the prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) and her loyal chief election commissioner (Nurul Huda) in the election, Kamal said.

“Though the ruling Awami League sees its victory in the election it has failed the 17 crore people. A grave of our desired democracy was dug through their (AL) victory,” he said.

Earlier, the Oikyafront leaders held a meeting to decide their next strategy as the combine, which includes major opposition BNP, experienced an unprecedented defeat in the 11th parliamentary election yesterday.

The top brass of the alliance held the meeting at Dr Kamal Hossain's chamber in Purana Paltan area of Dhaka, Latiful Bari Hamim, a staff of the Oikyafront's media wing, told The Daily Star.

Oikyafront and BNP-led 20-Party Alliance bagged only seven seats and others three seats while the Awami League-led grand alliance won 288 seats in the 11th parliamentary elections.

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 JatiyaOikyafront runners.

Bangladesh government has opened a media centre at a luxury hotel in Dhaka to relay election information to journalists on the day of December 30 election.

Top officials of the information and foreign ministry were present at the launching of the media centre at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka in the morning.

Abdul Malek, secretary to Ministry of Information said, the centre will provide all types of information till December 31 midnight to foreign and local journalists and election observers.

Md Shahidul Haque, foreign affairs secretary, said two hundred foreign observers and 50 overseas journalists who will be catered information from the centre.

Besides, the centre will provide security and visa related necessary information as well as online facilities to the overseas journalists and election observers.

The election result provided by the EC will also be displayed through Bangladesh Television (BTV) at the media centre.  

Five officials and staffs of the information ministry will work at the media centre round the clock. The media centre will keep communication with the EC through two hot lines.

The Election Commission’s activities will determine whether BNP and its alliance will stay in the election race till the end, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today.

“The activities of the EC have been biased so far. If the commission wants, it can still create the atmosphere of a fair polls,” he told reporters in front of his Uttara residence this morning. The BNP leader was heading to Bogura and Rangpur for electioneering.

The BNP secretary general said, “The election has become questionable. The role of the EC and law enforcing agencies is not satisfactory at all.”

“BNP and its alliance partners had hoped that after army deployment the overall atmosphere would be improved and the election atmosphere would return but that has not happened,” Fakhrul said.

“The way violence is being carried out, opposition campaigns are being barred, which is not at all congenial for a fair election,” he alleged.