Gono Forum winners might take oath defying Dr Kamal: AL Quader

The two Gono Forum leaders, who won in the general election, might defy orders from their alliance to take oath of office, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said.

The Jatiya Oikya Front, comprised of the BNP and headed by Gono Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain, has rejected the outcome of the Dec 30 election, alleging vote rigging.

The alliance won eight seats, while the ruling Awami League bagged 257 seats to return for a third straight term to power.    

"Two MPs from the Oikya Front were barred from taking oath. Will they listen to their leaders? I don’t think so," Quader said on Tuesday. 

He was talking to reporters while aspirants for the upcoming elections for Upazila chairman and vice chairman were buying nomination forms from the Awami League chief’s office in Dhanmondi.

The two Gono Forum MP-elects -- Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed and Mukabbir Khan—were elected in the parliamentary polls with the BNP’s ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol. 

After a meeting on Thursday, Oikya Front chief Kamal Hossain said the two Gono Forum-nominated MPs elect have been “clearly” instructed by the party not to take oath of office. His call came after the two MPs-elect expressed their interests to take oath.

Quader said he talked with the two leaders of the Gono Forum who won the elections. “I have talked with them. They say that people voted us, we want to speak in the parliament on behalf of the people.”