Oikyafront plans events nationwide
The Jatiya Oikyafront, the newly floated alliance of BNP and several other parties, wants to move forward with a series of programmes urging people from all walks of life to join the “fight for the restoration of democracy”.
Senior leaders of the alliance say they want to begin with public meetings at all divisional headquarters from next week. And the first one could be in Sylhet.
Except for Jamaat-e-Islami, all the components of the BNP-led 20-party combine are likely to join the programmes announced by the Oikyafront, according to sources in the BNP.
Formed after weeks of talks and intense negotiations, the alliance promised to bring sweeping reforms in governance system if voted to power.
Its four other components are Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab), Nagorik Oikya and Forward Party.
"We have little time on our hands. Our programmes will begin at the end of this week. We will observe the programmes countrywide," Dr Kamal Hossain, chief of Gono Forum, told The Daily Star yesterday.
Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, who was involved in the process of forging the alliance, said they want to hold at least three public rallies in Sylhet, Rajshahi and Chittagong cities.
"All the top leaders of the alliance will address the rallies," he said. "We hope the government will give us the permission."
If the government does not allow the public rallies, the alliance will announce road marches towards those divisional headquarters, said Mahmudur Rahman Manna, chief of Nagorik Oikya.
The alliance also wants to start holding a series of view-exchange meetings this week with various professionals and civil society members in the capital to explain the rationale of its seven-point demand and 11-point goal unveiled on Saturday.
The 11-point goal includes ensuring checks and balances, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed by 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.
Its seven-point demand includes holding of the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and recasting the Election Commission
The alliance seeks to complete all these programmes in the next three weeks -- before announcement of the schedule of the next parliamentary election -- to mobilise public opinion for its demands and goals.
The Election Commission may announce the schedule in the first week of November, a week after the beginning of 90 days' timeframe for holding the polls.
As per the constitutional provision introduced in 2011, the polls must be held within 90 days of the expiry of the current parliament. Five-year term of this parliament ends on October 30.
Senior leaders of the Oikyafront are now working to develop an organisational structure. A steering committee may be formed with senior leaders from each of the components, said a senior leader of the platform.
"We do not want any single leadership. We want to run the alliance with a joint leadership," said Dr Kamal Hossain.
Meanwhile, Nagorik Oikya yesterday announced that it would hold a public rally in front of Mirpur Bangla College on October 21. All the top leaders of Oikyafront will be invited to address the rally.
The party has already applied to Dhaka Metropolitan Police for permission.
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