Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk: Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossian-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya and former president AQM Badrudozza Chowdhury-led Juktofront today formally announced their pledge to forge a “greater national unity”.
The two seasoned politicians jointly came up with the announcement at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka to press home their five-point demands including formation of a non-party polls-time government.
They also placed a nine-point declarations ahead of the upcoming general election scheduled to be held at the end of December.
“We are announcing the joint declaration of forming the national unity process. We will unite all people creating unity at every villages, areas and houses across the country to meet the goal,” Kamal Hossain said.
In the first demand, they said the current parliament will have to be dissolved before announcing schedule of the 11th parliamentary elections to create level playing field for all political parties. A nonparty caretaker government will have to be formed through holding discussion with all political parties. The responsible person of the election-time government will not be allowed to contest the elections, they said.
In the second demand, they said freedom of expression of media, including social and mass will have to be ensured and all political parties will have to be allowed to hold rallies. The reconstitution of the Election Commission will have to be ensured with acceptable person through discussion, they added.
In the third-point, they said all the detained political activists and the quota reformists will have to be released and all cases lodged against them will have to be withdrawn. From now, the arrest of leaders and activists of different political parties will have to be stopped.
As per the fourth-point, they said army with magistracy power will have to be deployed in all electoral areas before a month of holding of the national election and it will have to remain on the field till 10 days after the polls. At the same time, all sorts of power in dealing with the army will have to be given to the Election Commission, they added.
In the last point, they said the attempt of using Electronic Voting Machine in the election will have to be canceled and Representation of People’s Order (RPO) will have to be updated and made people-oriented through bringing amendment to it.
About the nine-point declaration, they said balance of power among the parliament, government, president and prime minister will have to be ensured for holding the next general election in an inclusive and credible manner, they said.
