The new political alliance National Democratic Front (NDF) has been formed with 18 political parties, with Jatiya Party-JP Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju as the chief advisor, Jatiya Party-JPA Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud as the chairman and JPA Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader as the spokesperson.
Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud officially announced the alliance at a press conference organized at Emmanuel's Center in Gulshan of the capital, on Monday morning. He said that there are currently six registered political parties in this alliance.
Present at the event were Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Jatiya Party Senior Chairman Kazi Firoz Rashid, Executive Chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Co-Chairmen Syed Abu Hossain Babla, Shahidur Rahman Tapa, Shafiqul Islam Sentu, Liaquat Hossain Khoka, Mostafa Al Mahmud, and Zahirul Islam Zahir.
Also present were Janata Party Bangladesh Acting Chairman Golam Sarwar Milon, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement Chairman former MP Shah Md. Abu Zafar, Bangladesh Cultural Liberation Front President Abu Layes Munna, Trinamool BNP Secretary General Major (Retd.) Dr. Habibur Rahman, Ganofront Secretary General Ahmed Ali Sheikh, Bangladesh Muslim League Chairman Advocate Mohsin Rashid, National Islamic Grand Alliance Chairman Abu Naser M Wahed Faruk, National Cultural Alliance President Major (Retd) Amin Ahmed Afsari, Democratic Party Chairman M Ashiq Billah, Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Chairman Professor MR Karim, Democratic Movement Chairman MRM Zafar Ullah Chowdhury, Bangladesh Swadhinata Party Chairman Mizanur Rahman Mizu, Bangladesh Swadhin Party Chairman Mirza Azam and United Democratic Party Chairman Narayan Kumar Das.
Diplomatic representatives present at the press conference included British High Commission Political Counsellor Tim Duckett, US Embassy Representative Kamrul Hasan Khan, Brunei Mission Chief Rozaimi Abdullah, Indian Embassy Second Secretary (Political) Pooja Jha and Ephesus's Qazi Shahidul Islam.
Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud read out the alliance's declaration at the press conference. In a written speech, alliance spokesperson and Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar said in his welcome speech, “Hussain Muhammad Ershad is the greatest reformer of this country. The history of the country cannot be written without him. He held elections in 1986 to introduce a democratic system of governance. But the desired democracy has not yet been established in the country, for which we still have to fight.
He also said, “We hope that the Chief Advisor and his government will hold a healthy, impartial and participatory election with all parties. If an election is held without any party, the government formed after that election will be temporary. We have to learn from the past.”
He said, “In 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called for independence. We went to the liberation war that day. The liberation war did not happen naturally. We achieved independence in exchange for 3 million martyrs and the honor of two hundred thousand mothers and sisters. When someone speaks against independence, speaks against the Liberation War - our hearts bleed.”
He also said, “The armed forces led the Liberation War of 1971. But when those armed forces are belittled, ridiculed and humiliated in various ways, our hearts bleed. In politics, no one is a permanent enemy; no one is a permanent friend. Together, we can build a modern Bangladesh - the new Bangladesh that our leader Hussain Muhammad Ershad dreamt of.”
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
