Staff Reporter :
Leaders from the 20-party alliance and the Jatiya Oikyafront (JOF) have expressed frustration over the decisions of the BNP taken recently, including the party’s MP’s taking oath.
Leaders from both the alliances have started to issue ultimatums to leave BNP-led platforms.
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League President Abdul Kader Siddique on Thursday threatened to leave BNP-led alliance Jatiya Oikyafront giving one month time to resolve inconsistency.
“JOF are not running properly. JOF MPs-elect took oath without discussing with front allies. The oath takers acted as betrayers. If the Oikyafront does not reform the wrong doing within one month, we will leave the front,” Kader Siddique said it in a press briefing at the party’s Motijheel office.
He said, the JOF rejected the 11th national polls results, but seven of the alliances MPs-elect took oath one after another. After Nusrat murder in Feni, the alliance announced to arrange a demonstration, but was not found. Many such wrong steps were found in the JOF.
Apart from this, the leaders of the alliances also expressed their dissatisfactions on the BNP’s recent activities, including taking decision of joining the parliament, without having concern of the allies, they alleged.
Party and alliances insiders said that both the alliances are expressing anger one against another.
BNP formed four-party alliance in 1999, which increased to 20-party alliance later. Besides, the party forged another alliance-Jatiya Oikyafront-comprising five parties including veteran politician Dr. Kamal Hossain’s Gono Forum before the December 30 parliamentary polls last year.
Dr. Kamal Hossain recently regretted alliance with the BNP, as the party (BNP) is connected with another platform – 20-party alliance having Jamaat-e-Islami in the fold.
Dr. Kamal Hossain is pressuring BNP to leave Jamaat. On the other hand, the 20-party alliance is also creating pressure on BNP to leave Jatiya Oikyafront as they are claiming that Dr. Kamal Hossain is playing a role in fevour of the government.
Sources said, the 20-party alliance had long decision of not going to the 11th parliamentary polls without getting a non-party government.
But the party finally joined the race of the vote without achieving any demand, even the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s release.
The 20-party alliance leaders alleged that the Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain had played the vital role behind the BNP’s participation in the polls.
On the other hand, allies of both the alliances become surprised during the national election day on December 30, 2018 seeing the BNP’s helpless surrendering to the widespread vote rigging.
“We think the BNP will carry out huge demonstration to foil the ruling Awami League’s vote riggings. But we were surprised that they had left the field without protest,” said a senior leader of the alliance on condition of anonymity.
The allies were also astonished, frustrated and became angry after the BNP MPs took oath on March 29 even they said before that the Parliament is illegal and a fresh polls is needed. Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Convener of Nagorik Oikya, and a vocal leader of the JOF, expressed his dissatisfaction in presence of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
“If you (the BNP) reached any type of compromise, then please reveal that to the people as everyone can understand the matter,” Manna said this at a discussion meeting at the National Press Club in which Mirza Fakhrul was present as the chief guest.
Replying to his question, Mirza Fakhrul said in his speech, “There is no compromise between the BNP and the government.”
But the anger of the alliance partners has not come down. Important and longtime partner of the BNP-led 20 party alliance, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) has left the alliance already. “The BNP ignored us in every step in recent activities,” the party said in a statement on April 6 leaving the alliance. Dr. Mustafizur Rahman Iran, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Labour Party, one of the allies of the 20-party alliance expressed his similar views with Barrister Andaleev Rahman.
“I preserve similar views with him regarding the BNP’s recent political decisions,” Dr. Iran said adding that Dr. Kamal Hossain played a role to take the BNP in the December 30 polls.
The Labour party chief also gave BNP ultimatum to leave JOF by 23 May. If BNP fails to leave JOF within May 23, we will leave the alliance on May 24, he told the journalists in the party’s Puranapaltan office.
BNP leaders have not commented on BJP’s decision. But former BNP MP Major (retd) Aktaruzzaman said in his Facebook status that Anadaleeves resignation from the alliance is a good for BNP. The party got rid of an unwanted existence by his departure.
