Oikyafronts formal no to PMs tea party
STAFF REPORTER, Dhaka
The Jatiya Oikyafront has formally turned down Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas invitation to join a greeting-exchange programme over tea at her official residence. The Front, however, has thanked the Prime Minister for inviting it. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Oikyafront questioned the formation of the government following what it described as a farcical election held on December 30. The letter also mentioned that peoples democratic right of electing their representatives was snatched on that day. The letter, signed by Jatiya Oikyafront steering committee member Subrata Chowdhury, thanked the Premier for the invitation, saying that the Oikyafront steering committee, in a meeting on Thursday, unanimously decided to stay away from the tea party. Thousands of Oikyafront leaders and activists are still in jail. More leaders and activists are being implicated in new cases and arrested. Under the circumstances, its not possible for us to join the tea party, the letter stated.
A three-member delegation, led by Oikyafront office secretary Jahangir Alam Mintu, went to the Prime Ministers official residence and handed over the letter to Prime Ministers protocol officer-2 Khorshed Alam at 12:55pm. The two other members of the delegation are Oikyafront media wing chief Jahangir Alam Prodhan and Azmeri Begum Chanda.
Earlier, on January 26, the Prime Minister had sent a letter to the Oikyafront inviting it to join the tea party at Ganobhaban on February 2. Oikyafront leaders, led by Dr Kamal Hossain, had talked with the Prime Minister twice (November 1 and November 7 last year) at Ganabhaban before the parliamentary elections and decided to take part in the polls, even though none of its seven-point charter of demands was met.
The Oikyafront, comprising the BNP, Gano Forum, JSD (ROB) and Nagorik Oikya, was formed on November 13 last year. Bangabir Kader Siddique-led Krishak Sramik Janata League also joined the alliance later.
