Dr Kamal’s Gono Forum to join Jukto Front alliance of Badruddoza

Dr Kamal Hossain’s Gono Forum is joining the Jukto Front coalition headed by AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury of the Bikalpadhara Bangladesh as they continue their quest to open a political front to mount a fresh challenge to ruling Awami League.

The senior lawyer-poliician held a meeting at Bikalpadhara General Secretary Abdul Mannan's Gulshan home in Dhaka on Sunday night to discuss the tie-up, Badruddoza’s press secretary Jahangir Alam said in a release.

Former president Badruddoza and Dr Kamal agreed to form a ‘greater alliance’ at the meeting, according to the release.

They would hold another meeting at Dr Kamal’s home on Monday and announce the next course of action after the Eid-ul-Azha, it added.

The alliance already has ASM Rab’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya on board.

Manna, who is also the Front’s member secretary, Gono Forum Executive President Subrata Chowdhury, Bikalpadhara Secretary General Abdul Mannan, Joint Secretary General Mahi B Chowdhury and JSD General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan attended the meeting.

Pro-BNP professionals’ leader Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury was also in attendance.

Jukto Front was formed in December last year.

Its leaders are also trying to get Abdul Kader Siddique-headed Krishak Sramik Janata League in the alliance.

Badruddoza, who formed his own party after leaving the BNP, had floated an alliance, NDF, with Kader Siddique and Rab before the 2014 general elections, but boycotted the balloting, as did the BNP.

The BNP stayed away from the vote as its demand for a ‘neutral’ caretaker government to oversee the parliamentary polls were ignored, while the NDF said it would not take part in an election without everyone’s participation.

Ahead of the 11th parliamentary polls, which are scheduled between late 2018 and early 2019, they were moving to form a new alliance again for quite some time.