16-member Oikyafront delegation to join dialogue at Gono Bhaban Nov 1

A 16-member delegation of Jatiya Oikyafront led by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain will sit for the much anticipated dialogue with the ruling quarter on November 1.

The dialogue will be held at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official residence Gono Bhaban at around 7:00pm on the day.

BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will also join the talks under the leadership of Kamal Hossain, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rab told the Daily Star this evening.

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Oikyafront invited to Gono Bhaban

The other members of the Oikyafront delegation include BNP Standing Committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President ASM Abdur Rab Gono Forum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Gono Forum Executive President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, JSD Vice-President Tania Rab, JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, and Gonoshasthaya Kendra Founder Dr Jafarullah Chowdhury, among others, according to a press release of Jatiya Oikyafront.

The decision was taken at a steering committee meeting of the newly floated election alliance held at Dr Kamal Hossian’s Motijheel Law Chamber in Dhaka this evening.

The meeting also appointed JSD President ASM Rab as spokesperson of the Jatiya Oikyafront.  

WHEN WILL THE DIALOGUE BE HELD?

Ruling Awami League today invited opposition political alliance Jatiya Oikyafront over at Gono Bhaban on November 1 for talks over the upcoming national election.

Awami League’s Office Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap hand-delivered the invitation to Jatiya Oikyafront leader Dr Kamal Hossain this morning.

In a press briefing at his Secretariat office this morning, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told the media that there is no boundary on the guest list.

HOW IT CAME TO THIS?

The issue of dialogue surfaced when Dr Kamal, president of Gono Forum – a key component of the Oikyafront, wrote to the prime minister on October 28 asking for dialogue.

The matter of dialogue and Dr Kamal’s letter were discussed in yesterday’s cabinet meeting. The prime minister expressed positive attitude in this regard.

WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN DR KAMAL’S LETTER?

Apart from inviting premier Hasina for taking steps towards dialogue, Dr Kamal wrote about Bangabandhu’s ideology and the political situation in Bangladesh.

In the letter, Kamal said: “Bangabandhu taught us how healthy politics unite a nation and turn it into a force to realise people’s legitimate rights.”

“How the unhealthy politics has split the nation and plunged it into a great crisis is known to all of us,” Kamal added.

“It is our national challenge to rid the crisis; and to face the challenge, the Jatiya Oikyafront has placed its seven-point charter and 11-point goal,” he said.

Democracy is one of the main spirits that encouraged us to go for the freedom fight and to sacrifice our lives; and the motto of the democracy is to arrange free, fair and impartial elections, he said.

The elected public representatives would enforce their power in favour of people. They would formulate law to protect the people from exploitation and would govern the country which are our constitutional pledge, he also said in the letter.

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 non-partisan government, dissolution of the parliament and reconstitution of the Election Commission before the election.