Bikalpadhara to join caretaker movement

Dhaka, Aug 29 (bdnews24.com)—Bikalpadhara Bangladesh of former president A Q M Badruddoza Chowdhury will join forces with BNP's anti-government movement demanding that the caretaker system be retained.

"We've reached a consensus to take part in BNP's movement over the caretaker government system. We want to launch programmes over the common issues," party's joint secretary-general Mahi B Chowdhury told reporters on Monday after a meeting with BNP's Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the acting secretary-general.

Bikalpadhara also forwarded some proposals on the issue and said it would launch alternative programmes after the Eid-ul-Fitr. "BNP also gave some proposals. We'll discuss those in party forum," Mahi said.

Fakhrul said they would sit again after the Eid, but none of them disclosed details of the proposals at the joint briefing.

The first-ever formal dialogue between the parties was also attended by presidium member Nurul Amin Bepari and office secretary Wasimul Islam.

Badruddoza, a former president of the BNP government, and secretary-general M A Mannan were absent because of illness. Before the meeting, Fakhrul met with the Bikalpadhara chief and spoke to Mannan on the phone.

In its move to extend the opposition alliance, BNP has invited Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), headed by former BNP minister Oli Ahmed, and Kader Siddiqui's Krishak Sramik Janata League. LDP has confirmed its participation.

Fakhrul had seen Badruddoza and Oli on July 12 to invite them to the mass hunger strike organised by the BNP. A delegation of the LDP joined the programme while Bikalpadhara did not.

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