Dr Kamal hopeful of forming grand alliance against 4-party
Staff Correspondent
Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said the process of grand national consensus among Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition, Gono Forum, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation is underway as they will work together to defeat the BNP-Jamaat alliance in the next general elections."It is a good news for the nation that all progressive and pro-liberation forces are being united on the basis of the 14-party's 23-point proposal. Now we are working to form a grand national consensus for safeguarding the democracy, people and nation from the grip of BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance government," the Gono Forum President said at a meeting of party representatives at Engineers Institution in the capital. Dr Kamal, also the convenor of Jatiya Oikya Mancha, said while people are facing immense troubles, ministers, lawmakers and leaders of four-party alliance have grabbed crores of taka through forming syndicate committees that are responsible for skyrocketing of prices. Stressing the need for discussion on the issue of the Election Commission and caretaker government, he said discussion between LGRD and Cooperative Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil could be arranged but the alliance government has not initiated such discussion even at the eleventh hour of its tenure. A year ago, 14-party opposition combine placed 23-point proposal that includes the reform of the Election Commission and caretaker government for holding fair elections, he said. Around 800 representatives from 50 districts joined the daylong meeting of Gono Forum representatives. "Programme-based unity can be made with the 14-party coalition if their leaders agree to take stern measures against corruption from the first day of new government and settle all corruption-related cases by two years if they are voted to power," said BDB President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury. Besides, leaders of the 14-party coalition should agree to take action against the syndicates responsible for price hike of essentials including fuel and fertilisers, he added. Addressing the meeting, AL presidium member Abdur Razzak said, "We will not go for election without realisation of the 23-point proposal, especially reform of the Election Commission and caretaker government." Among others, BDB Secretary General Major (Rtd) Abdul Mannan, slain AL leader and former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria's son Reza Kibria and leaders of 11-party and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation spoke.
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