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Jatiyo Oikyofront unveils election manifesto


Jatiyo Oikyofront unveils election manifesto

Jatiyo Oikyofront on Monday (Dec 17) rolled out its 14-point election manifesto with various promises, including ensuring the balance between the power of the president and the Prime Minister, and introducing upper house in the parliament.

The Jatiyo Oikyofront, if voted to power, will form an all-party truth and reconciliation commission to investigate the “extrajudicial killings”, “enforced disappearances” and “false cases” of the last 10 years.

The commission will also include eminent academics, social workers and lawyers, and the politically motivated cases would be settled through individual pardons and compensations.

This comes in the 14-point pledge the Oikyofront made in its election manifesto seeking to establish “peace and national unity”, end the culture of vengeance and prevent recurrence of “one-party rule”, local media reports said.

Jatiyo Oikyofront promises to bring sweeping reforms in governance if it comes to power through the Dec 30 parliamentary polls. The reforms include introduction of a constitutional provision for an election-time government, upper chamber of parliament, complete separation of judiciary from the executive, an “independent commission” to appoint the Supreme Court judges, and appointment of the ombudsman and officials to other constitutional posts.

Addressing the programme to unveil the manifesto at a city hotel on Monday, top alliance leader Dr Kamal Hossain said they look to “repair” the state as the students demanded in the recent road safety movement.

On the national polls, the eminent jurist warned that the situation may take a serious turn anytime if “obstacles” are created to a fair and credible election.

There will be no age limit for government jobs except those of police and the armed forces, he said.

The opposition alliance also promises to annul quota system in recruitment of government jobs except for disabled and underprivileged persons.

Jatiyo Oikyofront also promised to scrap the Digital Security Act. The alliance, if come to power, would fix the minimum wages for garments workers Tk 12,000.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and a leader of the alliance, read out the manifesto. Alliance chief Dr Kamal Hossain and senior leaders including Bangladesh Nationalist Party - BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Gonosasthya Kendra Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, and Krishak Sramik Janata League President Abdul Kader Siddique, among others, were present at the event.

About Jatiyo Oikyofront

The Jatiya Oikya Front is a platform of political parties led by Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain. It includes the BNP, Dr Kamal-led Jatiya Oikyo Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rab’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikyo, and Abdul Kader Siddique’s, Krishak Sramik Janata League.

It was formed on Oct 13 and demanded the dissolution of parliament, that a “free and fair” general election be hosted under a neutral government, and that BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia be released from jail.

The alliance participated in two dialogues with the ruling Awami League in the first week of November. Following the dialogues, it decided to participate in the elections.

The coalition also announced that it would use BNP’s sheaf of paddy as its electoral symbol.

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