Oikyo Front announces to contest polls

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Bangla Tribune Report
Published : 13:33, Nov 11, 2018 | Updated : 16:35, Nov 11, 2018

Anti-government alliance, Jatiya Oikya Front says it will take part in the 11th National Election, but called to have it deferred by a month.

The announcement came on Sunday (Nov 11) during a media brief at the National Press Club.

BNP Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir read out a statement by the coalition's chief, Dr Kamal Hossain during a packed media conference. 

"We are still focused on our 7-point demands for ensuring free, fair and credible election in addition to the demand of deferring it by a month."

The statement said that Oikya Front considers the election a "part of its movement.”

At the start of the briefing, Dr Kamal said: “we are counting on the people’s alliance. Our history shows that people always ended up victorious, when united.”

It will be no different this time, he hoped.

“This alliance has been forged on the premises of values ingrained in our constitution. This alliance aims to establish the power of people by achieving their faith,” said the Gana Forum chief.

Mirza Fakhrul then read out Oikya Front’s official statement on behalf of the alliance chief, announcing their stance on the upcoming polls.

The statement said: “the government showed no intention of conciliation following the dialogue which the Jatiya Oikya Front sought in a letter to the administration. They didn’t assure us of meeting our seven-point demands that we made for the sake of a fair election, rather describes some of those as unconstitutional.”

Alleging that the Election Commission has hastily announced the polls schedule as wanted by the government, he said: “once it was announced, the government didn’t go for any negotiation. Neither did they meet any condition. Given the circumstances a credible polls is impossible, however, the Oikya Front has decided to contest in it.”

Calling to defer the polls day by one month, Fakhrul said that their alliance will keep an eye on the election commission and the government. 

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