Jukto Front, Oikya Prokriya, BNP to finalise outline of anti-government unity Saturday

The Jukto Front alliance, the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya and the BNP have ‘almost’ finalised the draft outline of an anti-government unity ahead of the general elections.

Jukto Front Member Secretary and Nagorik Oikya Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna told reporters about the draft outline after a meeting at Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD President ASM Abdur Rab’s home at Uttara in Dhaka on Friday.

“We’ve almost finalised a draft outline to take forward the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya by coordinating the demands and targets of the parties,” he said.

The outline will be finalised in a meeting on Saturday, Manna said. He did not give details of the planned meeting.

Besides Rab and Manna, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Moudud Ahmed, JSD Vice-President Tania Rab and General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, Nagorik Oikya Chief Coordinator Shahidullah Kaiser, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Joint Secretary General Mahi B Chowdhury, its leader Omar Faruq, Gono Forum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Mintu, Executive President Subrata Chowdhury, Oikya Prokriya leader Sultan Md Mansur, and pro-BNP professionals’ leader Zafrullah Chowdhury attended Friday’s meeting.         

Khandaker Mosharraf said, “The work to forge a national unity is in the final phase now. We will present this to the nation very soon.” 

The leaders of the parties met twice last week to discuss the five-point charter of demand and nine targets of the Jukto Front-Oikya Prokriya platform and the BNP’s seven demands and 12 goals.

During Friday’s meeting, some leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League demonstrated on the Jashimuddin Road outside Rab’s house.

At an event later in the day, Moudud said the government would be “forced to hold talks” under pressure by the “national unity”.

“We will soon outline this unity and announce a movement. Our next course of action for ousting the government, for a regime change will be based on this outline,” he added.