Oikya Front cancels Rajshahi-bound march, to press ahead with Friday rally

Hours after announcing its movement will continue after pre-election talks with Sheikh Hasina led to no solution, the Jatiya Oikya Front has cancelled a Rajshahi-bound protest march scheduled for Thursday.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 7 Nov 2018, 10:51 AM
Updated : 7 Nov 2018, 02:37 PM

Its leaders took the latest decision after deliberations, BNP Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, told bdnews24.com on Wednesday evening.

“(But) the rally in Rajshahi tomorrow (Friday) will go ahead,” he added.

He did not specify why the Oikya Front cancelled the rally, but other leaders of the BNP said they took into account the prime minister’s news conference on the talks and Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda’s address to the nation, both scheduled for Thursday.   

The CEC will announce the schedule of the general election in the address despite the BNP’s call for its deferment.

The BNP leaders said the Oikya Front decided to wait and watch Hasina and Huda’s speeches before deciding on the next course of action.

Earlier in the day, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that they would continue their movement for a seven-point charter of demand after the talks with the ruling Awami League chief at the Ganabhaban in the morning.

They sat for the second time in a week to iron out their political differences over issues like the release of BNP chief Khaleda Zia from jail before the polls and a nonpartisan election-time government.

But both camps remained miles apart on the demands made by the alliance.

“The ball is now in the government's court,” said Dr Kamal Hossain who led the alliance delegation to the dialogue with Hasina.

“We are trying to resolve the crisis over the election and will continue to do so. But the responsibility lies with the government.”

Just after the dialogue, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a leader of the Jatiya Oikya Front, said the second round of dialogue with Hasina yielded no "solution".

Responding to reporters after a three-hour dialogue, he said: “The talks were not good enough to reach a solution.”

Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed told reporters: "They made some statements which are contradictory and conflicting with the constitution and so, are not acceptable. We have no objection if they want to sit again on any issue after the announcement of the election schedule.”

Another Awami League leader, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, said: “No consensus could be reached. The Oikya Front called for a fresh round of talks. No decision has been made about this.”