Oikyafront wants the president's intervention

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."