Zafrullah Chowdhury, who leads a pro-BNP professionals group, has met AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, whose party Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh was left out from the new anti-government alliance.
The Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder entered Badruddoza’s Baridhara residence around 9:45pm on Monday and left some 45 minutes later.
“We want to work together with all the people who had joined together. Is anything possible leaving out Badruddoza Chowdhury? We want to work with everyone,” Zafrullah told the media emerging from the Bikalpa Dhara chief’s residence.
After weeks of talks and intense negotiations, the BNP, Gano Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rab’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dala (JSD) and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya formally launched a coalition styled ‘Jatiya Oikya Front’ on Saturday, just months before the general election.
Badruddoza-led Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, however, was left out. A former president, Badruddoza floated the Jukto Front coalition last year with JSD and Nagorik Oikya.
In a separate press conference the same day, Badruddoza said they are not with the new coalition as the BNP did not sever ties with Jamaat-e-Islami. The party also said that it will be not part of a move ‘to bring the BNP back in power’.
His son Mahi B Chowdhury, who serves as the joint secretary general of Bikalpa Dhara, walked Zafrullah to his car Monday night.
“He apologised to party chief Badruddoza Chowdhury and Secretary General Abdul Mannan for the Oct 13 incident, when they could not attend the meeting where B Chowdhury was invited. He said it was not the proper thing to do,” Mahi told the media.
Zafrullah wanted to open talks, but Badruddoza declined, according to him.
“We have made it clear to him that we will not go in an alliance with anti-Liberation elements and if it's is meant to bring a specific party to power,” said Mahi.
Responding to a query, he dismissed the possibility of Bikalpa Dhara joining the Awami League-led 14-party Alliance. “These are nothing but rumours.”