Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Less than two weeks before the 90-day countdown begins for holding the general election, a number of contentious political issues remain unresolved.

The BNP has found itself in an awkward situation again. After weeks of talks and tough negotiations, the party just managed to bring together Dr Kamal Hossain's Gonoforum and three other parties and launch a new alliance, called Jatiya Oikyafront, on Saturday.

The Awami League and the BNP, who lead the two major alliances, may not have much to offer their own leaders in the parliamentary polls if they want to keep their partners happy.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, formed recently with the BNP and several other parties, now wants to expand by including more partners from the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Thirteen years ago, the then Election Commission, led by Justice MA Aziz, got itself caught up in a controversy by inviting 116 political parties to talks over preparing the voter list.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, the newly floated alliance of BNP and several other parties, wants to move forward with a series of programmes urging people from all walks of life to join the “fight for the restoration of democracy”.

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After weeks of talks and intense negotiations, the BNP and three other political parties formally launched an alliance called Jatiya Oikyo Front yesterday, just months before the national election. The alliance, which also includes Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, unveiled an 11-point goals and promised to bring sweeping reforms in governance if voted to power. "We are making the call for a national unity in the interest of the nation, not for any particular political party. We expect others to join the Jatiya Oikya Front," Dr Kamal told a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club last evening.

Political parties involved in the “greater national unity” process are likely to stage public rallies in the divisional headquarters from next week to mobilise public opinion in favour of their demand for holding the next general election under a nonpartisan interim government.

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More than 2,500 hospitals, educational institutions and shopping malls in the capital and its outskirts lack adequate fire safety measures, posing a serious risk of casualties in case of fire, reveals an inspection report of the fire department.

As the BNP and Juktofront negotiate forging a “greater unity”, disagreements persist over bringing checks and balances if the parties involved assume office.

The BNP will not go for any tough street agitation over the verdicts in the August 21 grenade attack cases as the party thinks the ruling Awami League might use the “judgments as a weapon” to carry out a campaign against it during electioneering for national polls.

Juktofront, a platform of three political parties that played a crucial role in forging “greater national unity”, wants a sweeping change in the current winner-take- all system in politics.

In a bid to strengthen the party ahead of the next general election, the BNP high-ups have launched an initiative to reinstate expelled leaders and reformists who became politically inactive after the 1/11 changeover.

After a brief pause in the efforts towards “greater unity”, the BNP and other political parties involved will begin to sit from today to give it a concrete shape.

The BNP plans to launch countrywide agitation soon after the formation of polls-time government to realise its demand for a free, fair and inclusive national election under a neutral administration and the release of its chairperson.

The BNP has informally started the process for a seat sharing deal with Jamaat-e-Islami and other alliance partners, indicating that it would not sever ties with the Islamist party.

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has urged BNP to participate in the coming national election.

The case filing spree that resumes after about three years' gap is making BNP leaders rethink strategies as they fear the days before the national elections will not be smooth for them.