DHAKA, March 25, 2019 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) would face a grim future as the “fragile” grouping came into being drawing people and parties of conflicting ideologies.
“The government has no need to break the unity of the Oikya Front as it was formed by rightist, leftist and moderate elements,” he told a press conference at his secretariat office here.
Hasan, also the publicity and publication secretary of the ruling Awami League, said BNP is fleeing from the polls. “BNP will become a party isolated from the people in near future for their election phobia and they have already fallen into existence crisis. I urge BNP to join the polls overcoming polls phobia,” he added.
The minister said the second phase upazila elections were held peacefully. “The overall environment of the polls was peaceful without some incidents and the voters’ turnout was satisfactory,” he added.
He said BNP and Oikya Front are raising questions about the voters’ turnout in the polls. “But, I think it was satisfactory. The turnout was 41 percent in the second phase upazila polls which was 43 percent in the first phase. I’ve already talked with the Election Commission and they gave me the information,” he added.
Hasan said the turnout would have increased if BNP joined the polls. “But BNP always tries to make the role of EC questionable.”
“We want BNP to survive in politics. But they are weakening themselves as a party. They suffer from indecision,” he said.
About Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder, Hasan said, “I don’t know how much it is logical to deliver personal speeches as a member of the EC beyond its forum.”