The possible alliance between BNP, Jukto Front and Jatiya Oikya Prokriya appears to be in a limbo as a meeting scheduled for Saturday at Dr Kamal Hossain’s residence has been scrapped.
The BNP is in talks with Bikalpa Dhara chief AQM Badruddozza Chowdhury-led Jukta Front and Gano Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain-led Oikya Prokriya for coalition to launch movement for free and fair national election under a ‘neutral and non-partisan government’.
The negotiations now hang on a possible electoral coalition.
However, B Chowdhury is meeting Dr Kamal Hossain at his residence on Saturday for talks, Bikapa Dhara Joint Secretary Mahi B Chowdhury confirmed.
Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for Thursday at the same venue, which was then shifted to Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD chief ASM Abdur Rab’s residence later in the day. But that too was cancelled.
However, a meeting was held on Friday at JSD cife Rab’s Uttara residence after which it was announced Jukto Front, Oikya Prokriya and BNP have ‘almost’ finalised the draft outline of an anti-government unity ahead of the general elections.
“We’ve almost finalised a draft outline to take forward the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya by coordinating the demands and targets of the parties,” Jukto Front Member Secretary and Nagorik Oikya Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna told reporters.
He then said the outline would be finalised in a meeting on Saturday.
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.
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.
Manna told Bangla Tribune on Saturday that Gano Forum Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu confirmed him that Dr Kamal has cancelled the meeting.
The BNP, however, said they had no knowledge on the Saturday meeting.
“We are not aware about a meeting or it has been cancelled,” Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, who sits on the BNP’s policymaking National Standing Committee, told Bangla Tribune.
According to people familiar with the process, it seems that Dr Kamal Hossain, Rab and Manna may open talks with the BNP without B Chowdhury’s Bikala Dhara.