Leaders of Jatiya Oikya Front will meet imprisoned BNP chief Khaleda Zia. The Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has assured the Oikya Front leaders that they can meet her. Oikya Front leaders feel that after their meeting with Khaleda Zia, ongoing issues of the front will be settled.
On Monday (Oct 21) afternoon, an eight-member team led by ASM Rab met with home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and later, told the media that the home minister had given his assent to the front leaders meeting Khaleda Zia.
On Oct 13, 2018, the BNP joined the Oikya Front but later, over several issues including the non-participation of Dr Kamal Hossain in the election, and other matters, there were differences among the parties.
After two BNP standing committee members, Dr Khondokar Mosharraf Hossain and Barrister Moudud Ahmed, moved away from the steering committee some mid-ranking leaders criticized the front.
BNP sources say that the party top leadership is feeling the need of the Jatiya Oikya Front and in the future, is eager to have the front as a meaningful political platform.
But at the end of the day, ideological differences will remain between front leaders and the BNP.
Some sources say that if the strategies between Oikya Front and BNP top leaders are dissonant with one another, the alliance will not last.
Oikya Front leaders feel that by meeting with Khaleda Zia, confidence will be restored within the leadership of BNP and the Oikya Front.
It has also been decided to include some noted persons of the Nagorik Samaj to the Oikya Front.
Oikya Front steering committee member and JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, said: “We will meet Khaleda Zia on humanitarian grounds.”
BNP standing committee member Dr Khondokar Mosahrraf Hossain said: the BNP never had any rift with the Oikya Front.
At a rally, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul said that Khaleda Zia had given assent from the prison to hang on to the alliance with the front.
Meanwhile, Oikya Front steering committee member, Abdul Malek Ratan, said: “We decided to meet Khaleda Zia after talking to Mirza Fakhrul.”
The BNP secretary general is currently in Australia.