Gono Forum expels MP Sultan Mansur for ‘disobeying’ coalition decision

The Gono Forum has expelled Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed for taking oath as a member of parliament defying the opposition alliance.

Mansur has also been removed from the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance’s steering committee, Gono Forum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said at a media briefing in Dhaka hours after Sultan was sworn in on Thursday.

Sultan “betrayed” the Gono Forum’s principles and ideals and “violated” the party’s constitution, he said.

Sultan Mansur’s actions have left the party, the people and the Oikya Front “in a state of shock and anger”, added Montu.

“He disregarded all our actions, rules and directions and threw the party into disarray by taking the oath in parliament today.

“We are expelling Sultan Md Mansur, who was elected MP for Moulvibazar-2 and will take necessary actions against him later,” he added.

The Gono Forum leader, however, did not rule out the possibilities of the party’s joining parliament, saying their decision was not final yet as the other Gono Forum MP-elect, Mukabbir Khan, was waiting for permission to take oath.

“There has been no concrete decision. If we join parliament in future, we will do it following our ideals and principles. It may become a movement in and outside parliament,” he said.    

The Oikya Front secured only eight seats in the parliamentary polls; the BNP won six and the Gono Forum two.

The alliance rejected the results of the Dec 30 elections alleging widespread rigging and intimidation of its candidates and supporters. It said their MPs-elect would not take oath.

Sultan Mansur won the polls with the BNP’s paddy sheaf, which was also used by the Oikya Front alliance candidates. 

The other Gono Forum MP-elect Mukabbir won the Sylhet-2 seat with the party’s rising sun symbol. He also wrote to the speaker for taking oath with Sultan, but backtracked on his decision on Wednesday.

Montu said Sultan falsely claimed he had informed Dr Kamal Hossain, who heads the Gono Forum and the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance, about his decision on joining parliament.

The party expelled Sultan on Dr Kamal’s orders after a discussion with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, according to Montu, who along with Mukabbir, was present in the meeting.   

“He (Kamal) did not even recognise the elections, how would he permit him (Sultan Mansur) to take oath?” Montu asked.

File Photo: Sultan Md Mansur at an Oikya Front press conference before the elections.

Sultan Md Mansur taking oath.

The Gono Forum general secretary regretted giving Sultan the ticket to contest in the elections.

“We failed to know him…We apologise to the nation for this breach of promise,” he said.

He presented a paper to refute Sultan’s claim that he was a member the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya platform, not the Gono Forum. 

“He was our member. Here’s the form signed by him,” Montu showed.

The BNP has described Sultan Mansur’s decision to take his oath of office as “political charade and a breach of promise”.

The leaders who broke the alliance’s pledge against taking oath in parliament would be deemed the “enemies” of the people, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.