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.

Jatiya Oikyafront’s leader Dr Kamal Hossain today urged law enforcers against following unlawful orders.  

Bringing allegation that the government has taken total control of police and administration, he said, “I have never seen such a situation in my life.”

Kamal, also the president of Gonoforum, was addressing a press briefing just before Jatiya Oikyafront’s manifesto was unveiled at a city hotel in Dhaka.

“Our candidates are arrested everywhere. Not even one of our candidates has been spared from attack and harm,” he claimed.

 Dr Kamal also recast a shadow of doubt over the fairness of the upcoming polls.

“Ensure the polls are held in the way the public wants,” Dr Kamal urged everyone.

If fair and credible polls are not held then the country will be pushed into a terrifying situation, Dr Kamal said.

The veteran leader also echoed the statement of students’ who were protesting for safer roads and said “this country needs to be repaired.”

Jatiya Oikyafront, in its election manifesto, promised that the price of electricity and gas will not be hiked in the first year if they are voted to power.

Electricity price will not increase in the next five years for consumers using the highest of 100 units a month, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and a leader of the Oikyafront, said while reading out the manifesto at a press briefing at a hotel in Dhaka.

Rural, small and cottage industries and all public and private hospitals will get electricity at concessionary domestic household price instead of commercial rate, Manna said.

WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?

The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.

The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?

Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.

Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.

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 nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.

Two lawmakers-elect of the Gonoforum may take oath and join the 11th parliament, Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday. 

"We've rejected the election, but the way our two candidates came out successful in such an election through competition is their big achievement. So, we're thinking positively about sending them to parliament," said the Gonoforum chief.

He was addressing a press briefing at Bangladesh Shishu Kalyan Parishad after an extended meeting of the party.

Later, Gonoforum leader Sultan Mohammad Munsur, who was elected from Moulvibazar-2, told this correspondent that he and his party colleague Mukabbir Khan, elected from Sylhet-2, will take oath as lawmakers of 11th parliament.

Gonoforum is a key component of the Jatiya Oikyafront, which earlier had termed the parliamentary polls a farce and demanded the Election Commission immediately hold a fresh election under a nonpartisan interim government.

“We reject this so-called result. At the same time, we demand fresh polls under a nonpartisan government,” Dr Kamal, also convener of the Oikyafront, told the press hours after the polling was over at 4:00pm on December 30.

The BNP, another major component of the Oikyafront, said the next day that its leaders elected in the 11th parliamentary polls will not take oath as they have already rejected the results.

The party took the decision at a meeting of its standing committee alleging various irregularities and violations, including ballot stuffing and ouster of opposition polling agents, from voting centres.

Contacted yesterday, Mirza Fakhrul refused to make any comment on the Gonoforum's latest position.

“I am in Noakhali and I am not aware of any such decision. That's why I don't want to make any comment on this,” Fakhrul told this correspondent.

Another Oikyafront leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, who is also coordinator of Nagorik Oikya, told The Daily Star that the alliance leaders will sit at 11:00am today to decide whether its MPs-elect will take oath.

This is the first time any Gonoforum leader won in the national election since formation of the party in 1999. 

At yesterday's briefing, Dr Kamal said the two leaders of the party can play a positive and meaningful role in parliament after taking oath.

“If others think it won't be possible for them to play a good role in parliament, they may take a decision in line with that thinking.” 

In reply to a query, Dr Kamal said he thinks it will not create any problem with the BNP if the two MPs-elect take oath.

“I think the Jatiya Oikyafront will remain intact to create pressure on the government,” he said.

“We've formed the Oikyafront so that we can realise our demand for a free and fair election. We believe that if Oikyafront functions effectively, we'll be able to mount pressure on the government over the election and force it to discharge its duties obeying laws.”

The Gonoforum chief said that in principle, the party is in favour of keeping the unity and will take a positive decision in this regard after discussions.

He added that the Oikyafront has kept its movement on and it may be intensified further in the days to come.

Replying to a question, he said they may move the court over the election if they get the evidence of serious Electoral fraud.

In the December 30 polls, 280 candidates of Oikyafront and BNP-led 20-party alliance ran with BNP's electoral symbol “sheaf of paddy”.

The Oikyafront managed to win only seven seats and two of those were bagged by Gonoforum candidates.

The AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats. JP, a key component of the alliance, bagged 22. Independent candidates got three.

The election in Gaibandha-3 constituency was rescheduled for January 27 following the death of a candidate, and re-polling will take place in three centres in Brahmanbaria-2 on January 9.

Gonoforum leader Mukabbir Khan had initially quit the race as he was denied nomination from the Oikyafront.

The alliance nominated missing BNP leader Ilias Ali's wife Tahsina Rushdir Luna. But she lost her candidacy following a High Court order.

It then called back Mukabbir to contest in the election as BNP candidate. He contested the polls with Gonoforum's electoral symbol “rising sun”.

Munsur won from Moulvibazar-2 with BNP's symbol “sheaf of paddy”. 

On October 13, BNP and three other political parties formally launched an alliance called Jatiya Oikyafront, around two months before the national election.

The alliance unveiled an 11-point goal and promised to bring sweeping reforms in governance system if voted to power.

Three other components of the alliance are Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) led by ASM Abdur Rob, Manna's Nagorik Oikya, and Krishak Sramik Janata League led by Kader Siddique.

Rob and Kader could not be reached for comments.

At yesterday's briefing, Gonoforum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu in a written statement described the way the December 30 election was manipulated and rigged.

So, he said, those declared winner by the Election Commission were not actually “elected”.