Oikya Front leaders will not take oath of office: Gono Forum

Gono Forum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu has dismissed reports that quoted party chief Kamal Hossain as saying the two MPs-elect from the party will take oaths of office to parliament.

“There has never been any discussion about taking oaths. The reports published yesterday are incorrect.  Dr Kamal Hossain has never said anything like that,” said Mintu, after a meeting of the party’s steering committee on Sunday.

“We’re not taking an oath. I’m saying it clearly that no members of Gono Forum will take an oath.”

JSD leader ASM Abdul Rab, whose party is a member of the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance formed by Kamal Hossain, also said the election winners from the opposition alliance will not be taking oaths of office.

The Oikya Front Steering Committee meeting was held at Kamal Hossain’s office around 11:30am.

The meeting was attended by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Krishak Sramik Janata League’s Kader Siddique, Habibur Rahman Khoka, Gono Forum’s Subrata Choudhury, Nagorik Oikya’s Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Zahedur Rahman and Ganashasthaya Kendra’s Zafrullah Chowdhury.

Gono Forum candidates Sultan Md Mansur and Mokabbir Khan won the Moulvibazar-1 and Sylhet-2 constituencies respectively in the 11th parliamentary elections as part of the Oikya Front alliance.

While the BNP has announced that its MPs-elect will not take an oath to parliament, Oikya Front leader Kamal Hossain reportedly indicated on Saturday that the two Gono Forum candidates who won the Dec 30 polls, may take their seats in parliament.

Asked whether the two winning Gono Forum candidates would take their seats, Kamal was quoted as saying, “We will hold specific discussions on the matter before reaching a decision. I personally believe that we will take a positive decision.”

Asked to clarify Gono Forum’s position on its two winning candidates, JSD President ASM Abdur Rab repeated Montu’s assertion, saying, “I’m saying it again that none of the members of Oikya Front will be taking oaths to parliament.”