Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said the alliance is fully united.

He, however, did not say whether his party's (Gonoforum's) two MPs-elect will join parliament.

"Our Jatiya Oikyafront is cent percent united. Our unity is forged with the country's 16 crore people," he said.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a preparatory meeting of the Gonoforum for its 5th national council at the party's Arambagh central office.

"I visited many places and found our alliance's unity intact and it'll be consolidated in the days to come."

The Oikyafront chief said people now believe they are the owners of the country and its resources.

He called upon all to organise and remain alert so that no one can embezzle or waste the country's resources. "We must remain aware of evil and anti-people forces who want to misappropriate our assets."

Dr Kamal said a national unity can protect people's interests and their ownership of the state.

Asked about the maiden session of the 11th parliament, the Oikyafront convener said they will come up with their statement on the issue later.

Asked whether Gonoforum's two MPs-elect will take oath, he said, "It's not the right issue to discuss here. We'll talk about the issue later at a press conference. Now we're talking about giving the national unity an institutional shape."

Dr Kamal called upon people to get organised across the country so that Oikyafront can play an effective role in protecting the national interests.

Gonoforum's fifth council will be held on March 23 and 24 in the capital.

The nation yesterday celebrated the 48th Victory Day, marking the moment the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces after a nine-month-long bloodstained war for liberation.

 Forty-seven years ago on December 16 1971, Bangladesh was born as an independent country under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after the sacrifice of the lives of three million people and the honour of nearly half a million women.

Different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions and organisations arranged a series of programmes to celebrate the nation's glorious victory.

The government also celebrated the day with different national level programmes.

The day started with the 31-gun salute.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing floral wreaths at the National Mausoleum at Savar at dawn.

The president first placed the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial with the rising of the sun. He was followed by the PM.

They then stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the martyrs.

A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force presented state salute on the occasion when bugles played the last post.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan, AL Joint General Secretaries Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Forest and Environment Secretary Delowar Hossain and Deputy Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua were present.

Along with them, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, members of the cabinet, advisers to the prime minister, parliament members, the chiefs of the three services, diplomats and high civil and military officials were also present.

Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, laid another wreath at the National Memorial as the party chief.

Later, Syed Mahmud Hossain, KM Nurul Huda, Mayor Sayeed Khokan and leaders of other political and socio-cultural organisations placed wreaths at the National Memorial.

They were followed by freedom fighters and their family members, foreign diplomats, leaders of the AL and other different political and social organizations, and people from all walks of life.

Other political and socio-cultural organisations such as Central 14-party, BNP, Gono Forum, Jatiya Oikyafront, Jukto Front, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), along with other organisational fronts and professional bodies were present.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pays rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar on December 16, 2018 marking the 48th Victory Day. Photo: BSS

Sheikh Hasina also paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at the portrait of his in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban at the historic Dhanmondi road 32 in the city.

The AL and its associate bodies, different educational institutes and socio-cultural and professional organisations also paid homage to the supreme leader by placing garlands at his portrait.

On the day, a public holiday, the national flag was hoisted atop government, semi-government and private offices as well as offices of autonomous bodies across the country.

The president and PM issued separate messages on the occasion and national dailies across the country brought out special supplements.

State-owned and private televisions channels and radios broadcasted month-long special programmes highlighting the Liberation War. Different organisations held discussions where Liberation War related documentaries were played.

Receptions were held for freedom fighters and the family members of martyrs at city, district and upazila levels.

The AL, led by Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, also paid tribute to the mazar of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj.

Bangladesh Police also paid its respects to martyred members by placing wreaths at the Razarbagh Mausoleum, where Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Inspector General of Police Dr Javed Patwari and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman, among others, were present.

Special prayers were offered in mosques and other places of worship, seeking eternal peace for the souls of the martyrs, and peace, progress and prosperity for the country.

To mark the day, Baitul Mukarram National Mosque organised a Quran khwani, milad and dua mahfil at 10:00am under the initiative of Islamic Foundation.

Improved diets were served in jails, hospitals, orphanages and vagrant homes across the country.

Destitute children had gotten the opportunity to visit children's parks and other recreational centres across the country free of cost.

Celebrating victory, Bangladesh missions abroad observed the day with various programmes.

Jatiya Oikyafront will brief media this evening on overall situation of today’s general election.

The press conference will be held at his Paltan office after 8:00pm today, the party sources said.

Earlier at a press briefing around 2:30pm, Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain said he was concerned over the election atmosphere.

The voting in the 11th parliamentary election ended in all the 300 constituencies across the country at 4:00pm.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said it was a mistake on the part of his party Gonoforum to have joined the December 30 polls with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders contesting under the alliance banner.

He also said they would put pressure on the BNP to sever its ties with Jamaat in order to keep the unity of the Oikyafront intact and strong. 

Dr Kamal made the statements following a meeting of his party's central committee at its office in the capital's Arambagh.

"I've already publicly said that I was not aware of Jamaat's participation in the election [under the banner of the Oikyafront]. When I gave consent [to contesting the polls under the alliance's banner], I was not informed about Jamaat. I think you can call it a mistake," he told journalists.

Around 70 leaders from the Gonoforum's central committee participated in its first meeting after the 11th parliamentary polls. It began at 10:00am and concluded around 3:45pm.

The meeting was organised to discuss the party's next course of action following the election.

The Awami League-led grand alliance won the polls bagging 288 out of the 299 seats. The election to the remaining seat of Gaibandha-3 will be held on January 27.

The Jatiya Oikyafront won eight seats, including six for the BNP and two for the Gonoforum.

Twenty-two Jamaat leaders contested the election with the “sheaf of paddy”, the BNP's electoral symbol.

One of the framers of the country's constitution, Dr Kamal had earlier been criticised for allowing Jamaat leaders to take part in the polls under Oikyafront's banner.

Jamaat-e-Islami had opposed the country's 1971 Liberation War and its top leaders were involved in crimes against humanity.

The BNP has claimed that whoever contested the election with the “sheaf of paddy” symbol were candidates of their party, not of Jamaat's.

The AL said that one of the reasons for the Oikyafront and the BNP's defeat in election with a margin so huge was that they allowed Jamaat leaders to participate in it.

Jatiya Oikyafront rejected the election results, alleging widespread polls irregularities and rigging. They also demanded fresh polls following a national dialogue with all stakeholders.

The AL rejected the demand.

After Gonoforum's meeting, Dr Kamal told reporters that he never did politics along with Jamaat and would not do so in the future either.

"My position is clear. We never did politics along with Jamaat nor [are we] thinking of doing so in the future. Whatever you've said about our politics involving Jamaat, we were not aware of it," he said.

When asked what the Gonoforum's position would be if the BNP did not sever its ties with the Jamaat, he said, “We will talk about it if it happens.”

Gonoforum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said their party forged the alliance with the BNP, not with the 20-party or the Jamaat. 

He said, “We raised our objection when the 22 Jamaat leaders were nominated to contest the election with the 'sheaf of paddy'. The BNP's secretary general told us they [the Jamaat leaders] were nominated as BNP candidates.”

Asked whether his party's two elected MPs would take oath, Montu said they would discuss it and decide later.

At the meeting, he said their leaders discussed the post-election atmosphere and worked out their party's future course of action.

Montu said their leaders strongly believe that to wage a democratic movement in the days to come and to “restore democracy”, there was no other alternative to national unity.

Dr Kamal said there was no disagreement among the people regarding the formation of the parliament through a fair and acceptable election.

“No one apart from the ruling party spokesmen are saying that a fair election was held on December 30, while there is no scope for saying it. I don't think it's a big deal to resolve such a problem. The government should hold a fair election within two to three months, enabling everyone to cast votes in the interest of the country and the constitution.

“People should be given a chance so that they can cast their votes as per their will. If you get the majority of the votes in a fair election, it'll be meaningful. If a government is formed through a fair and credible election, it will be easier for it to discharge its duties properly.”

Speaking to The Daily Star, several Gonoforum leaders who were present at the meeting said they discussed the strengthening of the Oikyafront in such a manner that no one can “malign its reputation because of the Jamaat and the BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.”

The meeting also decided to hold its central council on March 23 and 24.