Oikya Front field-level action for reelection from March

Dhaka, Feb 17 – The opposition Jatiya Oikya Front will launch field level political programme from March this year to meet their demands including holding a fresh election under a non-partisan neutral government.
The decision was taken at a joint meeting of Oikya Front Steering Committee and Coordination Committee on Sunday at Ganoforum’s Motijheel office with its top leader Dr Kamal Hossain in the chair.
After holding a public hearing on February 24, the Oikya Front will meet leaders of opposition parties including left-leaning alliance those rejected the December 30 election demanded the holding of a fresh election to start field level movement from the next month either unitedly or simultaneously, said a senior leader who was present at the meeting.
He said the Oikya Front that is yet to get permission for a venue is adamant to hold the public hearing on February 24 to focus different irregularities and stuffing ballots on the previous night on the basis
of evidence.
The meeting was informed that they are yet to get police clearance to hold the Oikya Front planned public hearing over the December 30 election that it rejected over alleged ‘vote engineering.’
The Oikya Front however decided to hold its public hearing any of the four venues- Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh, Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, Mohanagar Nattya Mancha or Jatiya Press Club.
Briefing reporters, President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and a top Oikya Front leader ASM Abdur Rab said the Oikya Front is yet get permission for venue to hold its mass hearing on February 24.
“We will hold mass hearing defying any sort of obstacle from the government side,” he warned.
He alleged that the government has booked all the halls and venues throughout the month as they decided to hold the mass hearing.
“We are not given any venue. We will hold our mass hearing defying all sorts of obstacles. We will do it even at a place under open sky,” he asserted.
The JSD leader said those political parties had rejected the December 30 election would be invited to participate in the mass hearing.
He said Oikya Front’s Coordination Committee will hold a meeting today while Steering Committee to hold another meeting tomorrow to make the mass hearing a success.
BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, president of Krishak Sramik Janata League, convenor of Nagorik Oikya Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Mostafa Mohsin Montu, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Abdus Salam, Jaglul Haider Afrik, among others, were present at the meeting.
The Oikya Front wants to focus on overall scenarios before, during and after the 11th parliamentary elections based on evidence. They will invite victims, voters, polling agents, eyewitnesses and dates to  speak in the mass hearing, said the leaders.
The mass hearing will be held in a bid to bringing allegations of vote rigging, balloting stuffing and violence in the December 30 national election, the leader added.
On February 3, BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdus Salam announced the Oikya Front’s programme of public hearing for February 24 against what he said was an one-sided and unfair parliamentary election.
This will be first major programme of the Oikya Front after organizing a human chain wearing black badges in front of Jatiya Press Club on February 6. – Staff Reporter