Jatiya Oikyafront leaders want to meet President Abdul Hamid and seek his intervention to improve the current political situation in the run-up to the December 30 polls.
On Thursday, the party sent a letter in this regard to the Bangabhaban which sought an appointment with the president for the leaders of Oikyafront -- alliance of the BNP and several other opposition parties -- on December 17, alliance sources said.
A 10-member delegation, led by Oikyafront's top leader Dr Kamal Hossain, also the president of Gonoforum, will meet the president if they get the appointment, the sources added.
"We will draw his [president] attention to the continued attacks on opposition candidates and activists during electioneering and the mass arrest of opposition activists. We will seek his intervention to improve the situation," Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a top leader of the Oikyafront, told The Daily Star yesterday.
The BNP and the Jatiya Oikyafront have been accusing the government of using law enforcement agencies to arrest and harass their nominees, leaders and activists across the country.
Since the announcement of the election schedule, the BNP has kept lodging complaints with the Election Commission (EC) seeking its action to stop the arrests and harassment.
But according to opposition leaders, this has not helped improve the situation.
Against this backdrop, the Oikyafront leaders have decided to meet the president, who they think can play a significant role in advising the EC to take necessary measures to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, party leaders said referring to section 5 (2) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
The section 5 (2) of the RPO says: "All executive authorities of the government shall assist the commission in the performance of its functions, and for this purpose the president may, after consultation with the commission, issue such directions as he may consider necessary."
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After meeting Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna today, Gonoforum said the situation will be the same as before if the election is held without completing reform works.
Gonoforum also called upon the chief Adviser to hold the next national election very soon after reconstituting the Election Commission and completing the ongoing reform works.
Led by the party's emeritus president Dr Kamal Hossain, a nine-member delegation of the party held the dialogue with the chief adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna.
"We want the election very soon. But we didn't give any specific date," Mostafa Mohsin Montu, chairman of the coordinating team of Gonoforum, told reporters after emerging from the meeting.
Montu said, "Before the election, we act as Ram, and we become Ravan after the election."
The Gonoforum leader said a new election commission will have to be formed to hold the next election in a free, fair and neutral manner.
"For this, a search committee or whatever necessary should be carried out for appointing competent people in the election commission," Montu added.
Several other political parties are also scheduled to sit with the chief adviser later in the day.
Different issues like political and state reform and next election may come in their discussion.
Leaders of BNP, Jamaat, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, six parties each from the Ganatantra Mancha and Baam Gonotantrik Morcha alliances held dialogues with Prof Yunus at Jamuna on October 5.
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Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's decision to hold fresh talks with political parties, saying it was a positive step, the UNB reports.
Talking to UNB, he also said they would take a positive decision about joining the dialogue with the PM after discussions with their alliance partners.
"I called upon the government to hold talks with political parties to find an effective way for holding a fresh credible election. Now the prime minister herself has decided to hold the talks. I hail the decision, and it's surely a positive initiative," Dr Kamal said.
Once they get the invitation to join the talks, he said their alliance leaders would sit together and fix what might be discussed at the talks.
He said he expected a positive outcome for the sake of the country's people if the dialogue was held.
At a discussion on Thursday, Dr Kamal had called upon the government to hold a national dialogue on finding ways for arranging a fresh national election as per the constitution.
Contacted, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir refused to make any comment over the matter. "I'm not aware of any such development. So, I'm not willing to say anything about it right now."
Earlier in the day, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said Hasina would hold fresh dialogue with the political parties that joined talks at the Gono Bhaban before the December 30 election.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had invited all the political parties, including BNP, Jatiya Oikyafront and Jukto Front, for dialogues before the polls…she will invite them again for exchanging views with them. The dialogues will be held at the Gono Bhaban,” he said.
He said the PM would send letters to Oikyafront, Juktafront, 14-party, Jatiya Party and other political parties inviting them to engage in talks at Gono Bhaban to discuss various issues.
Quader said this at a joint meeting with AL leaders and MPs from Dhaka and its adjacent districts.
The AL general secretary also hoped that all the political parties, including the BNP, would take part in the upcoming upazila parishad election.
“Every party will have to take preparations for the Upazila Parishad polls from now on…we hope all parties, including the BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront, will join the polls,” he said.
“We don't think that our opposition party is weak. We feel happy to contest in any election.”
The meeting was held at AL's Bangabandhu Avenue office in the capital.
Earlier in November, Hasina held dialogues with political leaders of different parties before the 11th parliamentary election over different major contentious issues, including the nature of the polls-time government and dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the polls schedule, among others.
Quader said the AL would hold a grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on January 19 to celebrate its landslide victory in the December 30 general election.
AL Joint General Secretaries Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif and Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, its Organising Secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Advocate Mesbah Uddin Siraj, AL Information and Research Secretary Advocate Afzal Hossain, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, were present at the meeting.
Earlier On Friday, Quader had turned down the call for talks and termed it an absurd demand by the Oikyafront.
Two days later, the AL general secretary said the PM had said at a joint meeting of their advisory council and the central working committee on Saturday that she would again invite those who had joined the talks earlier.
Before the announcement of 11th parliamentary election, Jatiya Oikyafront leaders, led by Dr Kamal Hossain, sat twice with the PM on November 1 and November 7 last at the Gono Bhaban.
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Citing that the country is being “ruled in an oppressive” manner, Dr Kamal Hossain, a key leader of the opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront, today urged all to unite to rid the country of such a rule.
“It is not acceptable to us that the country is under an oppressive rule. We will all unite to fight against it,” said Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum.
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after paying tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971 by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar this morning on the occasion of the 48th Victory Day of the country today.
Photo: Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Kamal also said people earned the independence of the country through unity and they will have to form unity to protect the independence.
BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rob and other leaders of Jatiya Oikyafront were present at that time.
Earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with party leaders and activists also placed wreaths at the National Memorial to pay homage to the Liberation War martyrs.
WHY DR KAMAL SEEKS APPOINTMENT WITH PRESIDENT ?
Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain has sought an appointment with President Abdul Hamid on December 17.
A 10-member delegation, led by Kamal Hossain, will meet the president if they get the appointment.
Dr Kamal may discuss the “ongoing mass arrest and harassment of the alliance leaders and activists” with the president.
The delegation will also seek the president’s intervention in holding the upcoming national election in a free, fair and credible manner.
WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT?
BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront have been blaming the government for carrying out mass arrest and harassment of their contenders, leaders and activists deliberately across the country ahead of the December 30 general election.
After announcement of the election schedule, BNP has been lodging complaints with the Election Commission (EC) seeking its step to stop the ongoing arrests and harassment for creating a level-playing field to hold the 11th parliamentary election in a credible manner.
WHO ARE THE TOP LEADERS WHO HAVE COME UNDER ATTACK?
On December 14, Jatiya Oikyafront key leader Dr Kamal Hossain’s motorcade came under attack near Martyred Intellectuals Memorial at Mirpur while he was returning after paying tribute, leaving at least 25 to 30 people injured.
On December 11, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam’s motorcade also came under attack, allegedly by AL men, in Thakurgaon’s Danarhat village during his election campaign.
At least 10 people were hurt and four vehicles were also vandalised in the attack, according to BNP.
On December 15, BNP leader Mirza Abbas reportedly came under attack when he was electioneering near Shegunbagicha area of Dhaka. Seven to eight BNP activists were wounded in the attack.
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 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.
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"We must work together with the new generation, prioritise the aspirations of the people to build a democratic, just, and equitable Bangladesh."
— Dr Kamal Hossain
Constitutional reforms should be done after taking people's opinions into account, said Dr Kamal Hossain, one of the framers of the constitution.
"No individual should change it [constitution] with the stroke of a pen," he said at a discussion yesterday.
"If a person, even if it is the president, feels that something is wrong, it would not be appropriate for them to change it single-handedly. They should proceed with amending the constitution only when a strong consensus or majority opinion has been established," Dr Kamal said.
Bangladesh Democratic Lawyers' Association organised the event to mark the day the constitution was adopted 52 years ago.
"We noticed that 15 to 16 amendments were made to the constitution. It was done from the realisation that it is made by human beings. The provision which was deemed right 10 years ago might create problems in a changed scenario. Then the constitution can be amended. But the people have to be taken on board to do that.
Dr Kamal, also the emeritus president of Gono Forum, said the reforms should be done with an aim to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
"We must work together with the new generation, prioritise the aspirations of the people to build a democratic, just, and equitable Bangladesh. Our commitment is to ensure a nation free from discrimination, where no one faces inequality based on gender, religion, ethnicity, political beliefs, or any other identity. All constitutional reforms must be made with this objective in mind."
He said people must remain vigilant about how the constitution is being interpreted, whether it is being interpreted correctly or misinterpreted.
The constitution is a document that is interpreted by people. Even the court interprets it, and the court can also make mistakes. The chief justice himself may err, he said.
Addressing the event, eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik criticised frequent changes in the form of the government.
"We formed 11 different types of governments in 52 years. Problems may arise in running a state, but the way we changed the form of the government is like changing a car because a tyre got punctured," he said.
Malik said it was a manifestation of the nation's immaturity regarding state operations.
"If we face any issue, we seek a solution only by changing the form of government. No one in the world does that, but it has become ingrained in us. And we think it is the only solution," he said.
Eminent historian Prof Syed Anwar Hossain said the current government has no right to amend the constitution since it was not elected. This government can only recommend amendments that have to be made by an elected government.
"There is no provision for an interim government in the constitution. We got an unelected government after ousting the autocratic regime."
The court validated the current government under the doctrine of necessity.
Prof Anwar alleged that although the supreme court is the custodian of the constitution, it failed to play its role. "The court followed the government's order and has been doing so."
He opined that prime ministers should not serve more than two terms.
Speaking at the programme, Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon said the debate over whether to amend the constitution or write a new one was dividing the nation.
"If any amendment is made or the constitution is rewritten, who will approve it? The last parliament? That's not possible. The future parliament? What if it does not approve it? So, it'll only widen the split," he said.
He also said a consensus should be reached through discussions with political parties that the amendments will be made when they are voted to power.
Among others, Bangladesh Democratic Lawyers' Association President Subrata Chowdhury, General Secretary Zahidul Bari, senior lawyer Mohiuddin Abdul Kader, and SMA Sabur spoke at the programme.
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Gonoforum today announced its new central committee with Dr Kamal Hossain as its president and Reza Kibria general secretary.
Subrata Chowdhury, executive president of the party, announced the 111-member committee at a press conference at National Press Club today.
Mokabbir Khan, who was served a show cause for taking oath as lawmaker of Sylhet-2, has been included as a presidium member of the party.
Mostafa Mohsin Montu, previous secretary of Gonoforum and the other MP-elect who took oath, is now the number one central committee member.
Reappointed as president, Kamal Hossain vowed to continue movement to “restore democracy” in the country during his impromptu speech.
Gono Forum was with BNP in the greater opposing alliance Jatiya Oikyafront that took part in the December 30 national election. The alliance secured eight seats among 300.
Six BNP leaders including its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and two leaders from Gono Forum won the election.
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