Liaison body to speed up unity process

Top leaders of Jatiya Oikya Prokriya and Juktofront have decided to form a liaison committee to coordinate programmes and facilitate communication among parties to forge greater unity.

The committee will be comprised of Jatiya Oikya Prokriya Convener Dr Kamal Hossain, Juktofront President Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and other representatives of parties involved in the unity process.

“Names of the committee members will be finalised at a meeting at 4:00pm tomorrow [today],” Dr Kamal told The Daily Star.

He also said Jatiya Oikya Prokriya will hold a rally in Mymensingh in the first week of October.

Meanwhile, the BNP is considering whether to invite the unity leaders to its Thursday's rally, insiders said wishing anonymity.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikyo, said the unity will have joint leadership.

Other leaders of the unity process said BNP's participation in last Saturday's programme made it clear that a greater unity has formed, but some basic issues are not clear yet.

“We will sit with the BNP leaders soon and decide on the next course of action,” Dr Kamal said, adding they will be able to finalise everything by September 30.

The unity leaders also decided to hold a meeting with professional bodies on Wednesday at the Institute of Engineers in the capital.

In Saturday's rally, Dr Kamal and Badruddoza demanded formation of a polls-time neutral government in consultation with political parties.

Meanwhile, BNP leaders think having all leaders of the unity on the same stage on Thursday will be a step towards forging unity.

The party sought permission for a rally either at Suhrawardy Udyan or Naya Paltan.

BNP Joint Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the event at a press conference at the party's Naya Paltan office yesterday.

He said the rally will be held on various political issues. The last BNP rally was held at Naya Paltan on September 1.

Manna said the unity leaders expect BNP to finalise its strategy regarding the greater unity by Thursday. “If we are invited, we are likely to join the meeting.”

BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan said, “We hope we will get permission from the authorities concerned and we will decide [about inviting unity leaders] soon.”

The BNP will place its seven-point demand and 12-point vision for the greater national unity at Thursday's rally, he said.

The seven-point demands include election under a non-partisan interim government, dissolution of parliament, deployment of army, no use of EVMs and release of arrested BNP men.

BNP standing committee members met and decided this yesterday night at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

In Saturday's meeting at Mahanagar Natya Mancha, several top leaders of the BNP and its allies shared the stage with Dr Kamal and representatives of several parties and civil society members.

The Jatiya Oikya Prokriya leaders announced a plan to hold rallies across the country from October 1.