Jatiya Party, the main opposition party in Jatiya Sangsad, will participate in the 12th National Parliamentary election as the party has completed all preparations.
The sale of party nomination forms will start from the Banani office of the Jatiya Party on Monday at 11 am.
Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Secretary General of the Party, said on Sunday at Banani's office regarding the election, if the voting is done correctly, we would like to field candidates in 300 seats. We don't want alliances, grand alliances etc. There is no objection if we don't get even one seat if we vote properly. We will support the party that gets more seats and forms the government.
Party nomination forms will be distributed and accepted at the Banani office every day from 10 am to 4 pm. Candidates will be interviewed daily in two sections from 10 am to 4 pm. Rangpur and Rajshahi Division on November 24, Khulna and Barisal Division on November 25, Dhaka and Mymensingh Division on November 26, Chittagong and Sylhet Division on November 27. Jatiya Party's final candidate list will be released on November 28.
Leaders at all levels of the Central Executive Committee of the Jatiya Party have to collect the nomination form by paying the monthly dues. This time the price of the nomination form has been fixed at 30 thousand taka.
On Saturday, Rowshan Ershad sent a letter to the Election Commission and announced that she would vote in alliance with the Awami League. On the other hand, GM Quader has submitted the specimen signature of Chairman GM Quader to the SEC as the person authorized to nominate the party to participate in the election. However, the constitutional body of the election has not yet decided which letter will be considered by the EC.
Rowshan Ershad and GM Quader also met the President separately. However, Rowshan Ershad's followers are wondering what process they will take part in the election. Because, election symbol will be given by GM Quader. According to sources, party chairman Rowshan Ershad will not allot symbols.
Responsible leaders of the party said that a large section of the party under the leadership of Rowshan Ershad would have gone to the polls if GM Quader had announced not to contest the polls. Although JPA Chairman GM Quader has been criticizing the government for a long time saying that there will not be fair and impartial elections under the current government.
Last Tuesday, 59 field level leaders spoke at the emergency meeting of the party's national executive committee. All but two of them voted in favor of not going to the election with Awami League in the current state. In the closing speech of the meeting, GM Quader spoke about the two-way pressure.
He also talked about the fear of being banned by the United States if he goes to the polls in this situation. However, most of the field level leaders are in favor of not going to the elections in the current situation of the country, but most of the parliamentarians of the party want to go to the elections.
In the meantime, without informing the party chief, 17 MPs from Japa paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister in her chamber of the National Parliament. The top leadership of the party expressed dissatisfaction with this. It is seen as a hint of chaos in the party ahead of the elections. A party source said that the Jatiya Party will continue to try to share seats with the ruling Awami League.
We don't want to do alliance-grand alliance anymore: Secretary General of Jatiya Party, Mujibul Haque Chunnu said, we don't want to do alliance-grand alliance etc. We want to give candidates for 300 seats alone. We have all the preparations to participate in the elections. There is no objection if we don't get even one seat if we vote properly. He also said that the announcement of the schedule is a routine work of the Election Commission. It has nothing to do with whether we go to the election or not. Whether or not to go to the election depends on the environment.
Talking to the reporters at the Jatiya Party Chairman's office in Banani of the capital, Chunnu said these things. Voters will be able to vote - there is no such confidence yet, he said, if we get this confidence, we will go to the elections. We are giving priority to the demands of the people. And we are not taking into account who the main sponsor of our party (Rowshan Ershad) talked to, who said what.
Commenting that the people of the country are in a hostage situation in the current political situation, the Secretary General of Jatiya Party said that people are trying to get rid of this situation. This problem would not have arisen if all parties were elected. We have repeatedly asked the government to create an environment. Let everyone come to the discussion. But the government did not call, those who are agitating did not speak with concessions.
Chunnu said, we do not want the government to resign. I will force the government again, I don't want that either. We want in the middle way that a way should be found in the light of the constitution so that everyone can come to the polls. We do not have confidence that voters will be able to vote. Once we get confidence, we will go to the polls.
He said, because of this, we are still in doubt. Whether to go to the election or not, whether it is right to go or not, what is the condition of the people. I could not get out of this doubt. Due to which it takes time to decide to go to the elections.
“We have said before, the current state of the country - the ruling party says they will hold elections from power. On the other hand, many political parties, including the BNP, said that they will not come to the polls if the government does not resign. They are also offering various programs. Activities like strikes, blockades, arson, burning of buses, and deterioration of law and order are taking place. People all over the country are hostages. People are trying to get rid of such uncertainty and apprehension. If all the parties could hold an election based on consensus, there would be no such problem.”
Chunnu said, Jatiya Party is the third largest party. Our chairman has repeatedly said that if there is no environment, how can we go to the elections. If people don't have confidence that voters can exercise their right to vote in elections, how can we go? We want a stable situation in the country. Such fights should not be fought.
Regarding the meeting of opposition leader Rowshan Ershad with the President, he said it was a courtesy meeting. Symbols are allotted to partynames as per RPO. The Chairman or Secretary General signs the nomination of party candidates for the election. We have also informed the EC that our nomination will be signed by the party chairman. So according to the law, the sole owner of Jatiya Party's plow symbol allocation is Gulam Mohammad Quader.
He said that there is no conflict in the Jatiya Party. Not a single person in the entire organizational structure of the country distrusts the current leadership.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 20 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
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