Opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front says none of its seven candidates, who won the 11th National Election, will take their seats in parliament.
“Gano Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain has been misquoted by the media over the statement of party MPs-elect taking oath. A rejoinder has been already sent out to the media,” Oikya Front Member Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said on Sunday (Jan 6).
His remarks came while briefing the media after a meeting of the coalition’s policymaking Steering Committee.
After the Gano Forum’s extended meeting on Saturday (Jan 5), Dr Kamal hinted at a press conference that the party’s MPs-elect taking oath. “We are looking at the matter positively,” is what the veteran lawyer said.
Gano Forum candidate and former DUCSU vice president Sultan Mohammad Monsur won from Moulvibazar-2 contesting with BNP’s polls logo ‘paddy sheaf’, while its candidate Mukabbir Khan won at Sylhet-2 with the party’s ‘rising sun’ symbol.
His remarks left allies in Okiya Front taken aback as the BNP, the coalition’s largest member with five MPs-elect, already announced that they are not joining the parliament.
The Oikya Front’s latest announcement comes after a meeting of its top brass at the Motijheel offices of Gano Forum chief and the coalition’s leader Dr Kamal on Sunday.
Emerging from the meeting, its Member Secretary Montu said “looking at something positively does not mean taking oath.”
He said, “We want to state clearly that there is no disagreement within the Oikya Front over taking oath of the candidates who won the election.”
Montu said the Oikya Front top forum will meet again on Jan 8 (Tuesday) to decide on its next course of action.