Sayeed Muhammad of DOT
The Jatiya Oikya Front has sent a letter to Gono Bhaban clearing its stance that they would not join the tea party at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A three-member delegation of the alliance went to the prime minister’s official residence to hand over the letter to a staff around 11:00am, Jahangir Alam Mintu, a delegate said, reports The Daily Star.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wrote to the Front inviting its leaders for a tea party today following formation of the government under her leadership for the third time on the trot.
The alliance on Thursday held a meeting of its steering committee and took a decision that they would not take part in the tea party saying that a government “formed through a farce election” can never be ethica.
Many Oikya Front leaders and activists are still being arrested in new cases. Under the circumstance, it is not possible to join the Prime Minister’s tea party, the Oikyafront said in a press statement after the meeting.
Candidates backed by the alliance won in eight constituencies including six by its key component BNP out of 300 parliamentary constituencies in the December 30 general election.
Soon after the election, both BNP and the alliance rejected the polls results bringing numerous allegations of vote rigging and ballot stuffing and demanded a fresh election under a non-party caretaker government.