Jatiya Oikyafront, in its election manifesto, promised that the price of electricity and gas will not be hiked in the first year if they are voted to power.
Electricity price will not increase in the next five years for consumers using the highest of 100 units a month, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and a leader of the Oikyafront, said while reading out the manifesto at a press briefing at a hotel in Dhaka.
Rural, small and cottage industries and all public and private hospitals will get electricity at concessionary domestic household price instead of commercial rate, Manna said.
WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?
The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.
The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?
Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.
Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?
The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.
The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.
Related News
Body:
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.
Body:
The Jatiya Oikyafront yesterday demanded that the Election Commission immediately scrap the “farcical election” and hold a fresh one under a nonpartisan interim government.
“We reject this so-called result. At the same time, we demand fresh polls under a nonpartisan government,” Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain said at a press conference at his house in the capital.
Reading out a written statement, the eminent jurist said the news of “vote robbery” came from almost all constituencies.
Responding to a query from a journalist, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday's election proved that free and fair polls were not possible under a partisan government.
“This also proves that our decision to boycott the parliamentary elections in 2014 was right.”
Kamal said the Oikyafront would hold a meeting today to devise its strategy. The alliance's ongoing movement “to institutionalise democracy” would continue, he added.
Apart from the Oikyafront, the Left Democratic Alliance, comprised of eight left-leaning parties, and the Ganasamhati Andolon rejected the polls and demanded a reelection.
51 BOYCOTT POLLS
As many as 49 BNP and two independent candidates boycotted polls during voting yesterday, bringing allegations of vote rigging, stuffing ballots and forcing polling agents out of centres by the ruling party men.
Other allegations include capturing of polling stations by AL men, rigging votes and barring voters from exercising their franchise.
However, the BNP didn't boycott the polls as a party.
Out of the 49 candidates, 22 are Jamaat leaders who ran on BNP's ticket.
In some districts, almost all the opposition candidates boycotted the polls. In Bagerhat, all four BNP nominees abstained from the election.
Eight out of 11 BNP candidates in Mymensingh boycotted the election. In Khulna, five out of six BNP and Oikyafront candidates opted to stay out.
Faridpur and Jhenidah saw three out of four BNP nominees boycotting the polls in each of the districts.
Jamaat leader Mia Golam Parwar, who ran on BNP's ticket in Khulna-5, first announced that he was boycotting the election over “barring voters from entering polling centres, arresting his party men and the returning officer's inaction”.
Around the same time, Shama Obayed boycotted the polls in Faridpur-2 alleging that AL men stuffed ballots in 100 out of 123 polling centres on Saturday night.
“My polling agents went to the polling centres, but they were forced to leave the centres by police and ruling party men,” the BNP nominee told The Daily Star.
Shama also said she even didn't cast her own vote in protest.
In Dhaka-1, independent candidate Salma Islam boycotted the polls around noon.
Speaking at a press conference at her house in Nababganj's Jamarkhola area, she said she stayed out of the election as it was “rigged”.
Andaleeve Rahman Partha, BNP candidate for Dhaka-17, boycotted the polls around 2:00pm citing that some 600 of his polling agents were forced out of the centres and assaulted by AL men.
JAMAAT BOYCOTTS POLLS
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami in a press statement yesterday said its leaders, who contested the polls with “sheaf of paddy”, boycotted the election.
Terming the election “a farce”, it demanded cancellation of the polls.
BNP's Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas boycotted the polls in Dhaka-8 and 9 alleging that voters were deprived of casting their votes. The couple also refrained from exercising their franchise.
Speaking at a press conference at his Shahjahanpur home, Abbas said, “Such an election is not needed in the country in which people cannot cast their votes. We are rejecting the election result.”
Independent candidate in Kurigram-4 Imran H Sarker, also spokesperson of Ganajagaran Mancha, alleged that AL men were casting fake votes in Chilmari's Nayarhat and Astamir Char areas.
COMPLAINT LODGED WITH EC
Around noon, a BNP delegation in a written complaint informed the EC that its polling agents were obstructed from entering polling centres in 221 constituencies.
“Our polling agents are being intimidated and obstructed from entering voting stations. In some cases, they are being driven away from the polling stations or being arrested,” BNP Joint Secretary General Moazzem Hossain Alal, who led the delegation to the EC, told reporters.
He said they received the information from reliable sources. There were similar complaints from other constituencies as well, but those came from unconfirmed sources, he added.
Alal alleged that AL activists were committing irregularities with the help of law enforcers.
The BNP submitted the complaint, signed by party National Election Conducting Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan, to the chief election commissioner.
Alal said voters were not being allowed to enter polling stations in many places and women were being asked to vote for AL candidates.
The party also accused the AL of stamping ballots the night before the polling day in more than half of the 299 constituencies.
“Ballots were being stamped with the help of law enforcement agencies and polling and administration officials,” the BNP said in its complaint.
Body:
Krishak Sramik Janata League has walked out of Jatiya Oikyafront alleging that the alliance failed to wage movement against the government.
The party President Kader Siddique made the announcement at a press conference in the capital Dhaka this morning.
Kader blamed the Oikyafront leaders for their inactive role and failure to wage movement against the government.
The Oikyafront, which was formed before the last parliamentary election, could not play any role in waging anti-government movement for gas price hike and such other current issues, he said.
However, he vowed to carry out movement through forming a new platform for establishing the people’s right to vote.
The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of BNP, Gonoforum, Nagorik Oikya, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) and some other political parties.
Body:
Jatiya Oikyafront has pledged speedy trial of the attackers who pounced on students during the movement of safe roads a few months ago.
The major opposition alliance touched the pulse of the students involved with the popular student movement of August in its manifesto.
During that time, the attackers, wearing helmets, who became popular as “helmet goons”, drew outrage from all quarters, including the students.
Going further into developing the transport sector, Oikyafront pledged immediate steps to mitigate the traffic congestion in major cities.
It spoke of drawing elaborate policies, prioritising public transportation, and promising safe and comfortable commute for all citizens of the country.
Oikyafront also pledged to expand the railway sector.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Nagorik Oikya convener and a leader of Oikyafront, read out the charter of the opposition alliance in Dhaka city today.
WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?
The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.
The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?
Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.
Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?
The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.
The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.
Body:
Unemployment allowance will be introduced for those above the age of 30, Jatiya Oikyafront said in its election manifesto unveiled today.
A commission will be formed to examine the state’s ability to introduce such an allowance system, it said.
There would be no age limit to joining government services except those of policy and defence forces.
There would be no quota except for the backward community and physically challenged people.
All vacant posts in government services will be filled up in the next three years.
A minimum allowance will be provided for the educated old people and they would be provided with part-time jobs.
Examinations for Primary Education Completion Certificate for class five students and Junior School certificate for class eight students will be cancelled.
A single admission test will be introduced for admission to all public universities.
Madrassa students will be educated in technical trainings and employment will be provided abroad for them. A commission will be formed for reform of Madrassa education with focus on employment.
WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?
The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.
The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?
Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.
Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.
WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?
The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.
The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
