Jatiya Oikya Front invited to Ganabhaban

The Jatiya Oikya Front has been invited to Ganabhaban for a meeting on Feb 2 amid growing talk of a dialogue between political parties after the elections.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 Jan 2019, 02:09 PM
Updated : 26 Jan 2019, 05:27 PM

Gono Forum leader Mostafa Mohsin Montu told bdnews24.com that Oikya Front alliance leaders received the invitation on Saturday.

“We have received an invitation to a programme in Ganabhaban on Feb 2. I’ve heard that the invitation cards bear the names of the Jatiya Oikya Front’s steering committee members but I haven’t read what is inside yet,” said Montu.

Oikya Front chief Kamal Hossain, also the president of Gono Forum, is currently in Singapore for medical purposes but will return to the country on Sunday, added Montu.

A Ganabhaban source said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has extended an invitation for tea to the leaders of political parties who contested the Dec 30 election.

Oikya Front leaders will not attend the event, said Subrata Chowdhury, the acting president of Gono Forum.

After rejecting the outcome of the parliamentary polls and calling for a new election, Oikya Front leader Kamal Hossain had urged the prime minister to hold talks with her political rivals.

In October last year, Hasina invited the country’s political parties for talks before the national elections following the BNP’s calls for a dialogue.

After three rounds of talks with Hasina, the BNP and its Oikya Front alliance agreed to contest the Dec 30 polls.

But the party later alleged rampant vote rigging in the election and has refused to take their oaths of parliament.