Reza Kibria. File photo.

The Gonoforum, a component of the Jatiya Oikyafront, yesterday promised it would do everything to reduce the rising economic inequality in the country if the party was voted to power in the upcoming parliamentary election.

The party also claimed that the inequality increased in the last 10 years due to “wrong policy” adopted by the incumbent government.

“It is difficult to offer equal opportunity to all. But we can narrow down this inequality to a great extent if we work on it,” said Reza Kibria, son of slain finance minister and Awami League leader Shah AMS Kibria, at the launching of Gonoforum's “Public Policy” initiative at the Jatiya Press Club.

The Gonoforum will seek public opinion for better governance through this initiative if it comes to power.

For instance, it might not be possible to offer an equal quality of education to a student in a remote village and one in Dhaka metropolitan area. “But it is possible to offer almost similar or closer standards of education to the students all over the country if we work on it,” said Reza.

His government on a priority basis will also work to improve good governance practices as there is hardly any rule of law in public offices, he claimed. “We will also work to improve the quality of public services, as many public servants forgot that they are employed to serve the people,” he said.

Reza, an Oxford economics graduate, came into the limelight when he recently joined the Gonoforum.

“The income inequality widened a lot in the country. Many people have no asset, but they are also looking for something better. We will ensure inclusive development. No one would be left behind,” Reza added.

The whole public infrastructure is under threat due to mismanagement, and people do not have trust in public services, he said. “We will restore the confidence through reforms,” he said.

The Gonoforum, which will participate in the national polls slated for December 30 under the banner of Jatiya Oikyafront, will also ensure selection of public servants on merit basis.

“We will give the voice to the voiceless people in the society,” said Reza, adding that they would seek ideas from the people for running the government better.

“Actually, it would be a peoples' government,” he said. This is a turning point for Bangladesh, he said.

Oikyafront leader and Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain said the opinion of Reza was not Oikyafront's manifesto. 

Leaders of the Oikyafront, the alliance of BNP and several other opposition parties, will announce its manifesto before the press very soon, said Kamal.

Replying to a query, Kamal also reiterated that there was a possibility of election rigging. He urged the people to guard polling centres.

He explained that guarding polling centres did not mean pushing the people towards a civil war.

Over the last few days, some people are wrongly explaining that people guarding polling centres means pushing them towards a civil war, he said. 

Gonoforum General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said they sold nomination forms to 350 aspirants and 113 of them had been selected for being nominated by the party.

He added that they were talking to the Oikyafront leaders to obtain the final nomination letters for the maximum number of Gonoforum nomination seekers.