Raising alarm at the growing incidents of rape in the country, Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain today urged people to forge a united movement to protect women's rights and establish the rule of law.

"Unwanted incidents are taking place in the country one after another. The rape of women has turned epidemic. The deterioration in law and order is evident here," he said while talking to reporters after a meeting of the alliance at his Motijheel chamber.

Dr Kamal, also Ganofourm president, further said, "We think the movement has to be strengthened and we've to take to the street actively so that people's rights are protected and the rule of law is established. It's now essential."

Oikyafront leader ASM Abdur Rob said they will hold a mass gathering at Shahbagh intersection in the city on April 30 in protest against the repression of women and rape.

 

Main opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront leaders today asserted that they would not give in to any obstacles on the polling day.

“Your one vote will ensure Khaleda Zia’s release. Keep this in mind and go to vote, along with your neighbours on voting day,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a top leader of Oikyafront, said.

Fakhrul, also secretary general of the BNP, also urged the voters not to leave the polling centres before the vote counting ends.

He was speaking at the rally of Oikyafront in Narayanganj. In the starting, the leaders introduced the candidate for Narayanganj-5 constituency SM Akram and sought vote for him.

Urging all to keep alert on vote rigging, Fakhrul said: “They are expert on vote stealing. We have heard that the ballot boxes would be stuffed the night before the election. So, you have to guard the polling stations from night before the election day.”

Urging the law enforcers and administration to carry out their duties neutrally, Fakhrul said: “You are oath-bound to work neutrally. The nation expects that you will be the people and protect peoples’ interests.”

Terming the Election Commission “helpless”, he said: “I want to urge the Election Commission to carry out their constitutional responsibility”.

“Take steps to hold a free and fair election otherwise step down. People of the country will not accept any unjust,” he said.

Seven MPs-elect of Jatiya Oikyafront yesterday refrained from taking oath and the alliance claimed that ruling party men had stuffed the boxes with “30 to 60” percent of the ballots the night before the polls.

Hours after 289 newly elected lawmakers took oath at the parliament complex yesterday, an eight-member delegation led by Oikyafront spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir went to the Election Commission and handed over a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda.

In the memorandum, the alliance also alleged that the administration was blatantly used against the people. It was a "breach of trust and the voters were deceived”, the Oikyafront said.

"This election is a cruel mockery of the people,” Fakhrul, also the BNP secretary general, told reporters afterwards.

"There is no question of taking oath as we have rejected the results,” he said replying to a query about whether the seven lawmakers-elect would take oath.

Raising allegations of widespread ballot stuffing and irregularities, Oikyafront rejected the results of Sunday's polls and demanded immediate national election under a nonpartisan neutral government.

The alliance yesterday submitted some “evidence of election-related anomalies and undue influence since the announcement of election schedule”.

"We've submitted evidence to the commission. We hope they [commission] will review those,” Fakhrul said. "The nation was pushed into darkness through this cruel drama in the name of election.”

The AL rowdies with the help of law enforcers forced all shops to close across the country before 9:00pm the night before the election to create a ghostly atmosphere, the memorandum said.

After stuffing the ballot boxes at night, they cast false votes during election day and voters were forced to vote for boat, it said.

It said ballot papers in almost all polling centres ran out by noon and in many cases polling officials took lunch breaks.

The night before the polls, AL men terrorised voters and threatened them with dire consequences if they went to vote, the Oikyafront claimed, adding that the AL men showed off their muscle power at intersections to intimidate voters.

“Law enforcers did not take any steps when help was sought.”

Counting of votes began before 4:00pm at many places, the Oikyafront said, adding that the EC's role was mysterious.

It said the EC and the courts cancelled candidature of 18 Oikyafront candidates and at least 16 other candidates were arrested.

There was no change in the civil and police administration. Judicial and executive magistrates were made inactive, it claimed.

“The media and the social media were controlled and the army was made inactive,” it said.

The EC must take the responsibilities of depriving the people of the country from exercising their right to vote, it said.

BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan, Moyeen Khan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rob, Krishak Sramik Janata League President Kader Siddique, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Gono Forum leader Mostofa Mohsin Mantu were in the Oikyafront delegation.

Jatiya Oikyafront today announced to hold a rally in Dhaka on Monday protesting “vote rigging” in the 11th parliamentary election held on December 30, 2018.

Oikyafront leader and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rab came up with the announcement at a press conference at Dr Kamal Hossain’s chamber in Motijheel of Dhaka.

Earlier, Jatiya Oikyafront, led by Dr Kamal Hossain, held an emergency meeting at his office to work out the alliance’s action programmes to mark the 1st anniversary of the December 30 national polls.

The rally will be held in front of the National Press Club around 2:00pm on the day, Rab said.

Responding to a query, he added, “No permission. Why the permission is needed to hold rally in front of the press club?”

Oikyafront leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, responding to a query, said vote rigging took place on the night on December 29 and they will hold the protest rally on that day.

“We will go for more two days programme if any barrier comes from any corner,” Manna said at the press conference.

Addressing the press conference, Kamal said they would strengthen their unity to ensure people’s voting rights and to make the country’s elections meaningful.

Two MPs-elect from the Gonoforum will not be joining parliament, the party has decided.

Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain, also a top leader of the Jatiya Oikyafront, made the announcement while talking to reporters at his Motijheel chamber yesterday, following a meeting of the opposition alliance's steering committee.

"We've clearly conveyed to them [the two MPs] our party's decision of not joining parliament, and they won't do it," he said.

The two MPs-elect -- Sultan Mohammad Mansur (Moulvibazar-2) and Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) -- have reportedly expressed their desire to join parliament, going against the alliance's decision.

The BNP, the Gonoforum and some other parties joined the December 30 polls under the banner of the Oikyafront. The BNP bagged six seats while the Gonoforum two. However, the alliance rejected the polls, alleging "massive irregularities". They also demanded a fresh election.

Meanwhile, the Oikyafront yesterday announced a two-day programme, including a demonstration wearing black badges and holding a public hearing, protesting what it called "vote robbery" in the election.

The alliance's spokesperson, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, announced the programme after the meeting.

"Today's Oikyafront steering committee meeting decided to hold a demonstration wearing black badges in front of the Jatiya Press Club on February 6," he said.

Besides this, he said, their alliance would hold a public hearing, with the participation of the Oikyafront candidates and the “victimised voters”, on February 24.

Fakhrul said they would later announce the names of the venues.

He said their alliance deferred its national dialogue, which was scheduled for February 6.

On January 17, the Oikyafront announced that it would hold a national dialogue in the capital demanding fresh polls after rejecting the 11th parliamentary election results.

Apart from Fakhrul, JSD President ASM Abdur Rob, General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, Gono Forum Executive President Subrata Chowdhury, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Krishak Sramik Janata League General Secretary Iqbal Siddiqui and Gonoshasthya Kendra Founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, joined the meeting chaired by Dr Kamal.