New alliance floated 5 out of 10 are 20-party rebels

Staff Reporter :
A new political alliance namely — National Democratic Front (NDF) — comprising ten political parties was floated at a function in the city on Thursday. Five of the ten parties are factions of five constituents of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The five rebels parties are: National Peoples Party (NPP) led by Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu; National Democratic Party
(NDP) led by Alamgir Majumdar; National Awami Party (NAP-Bhashani) led by Sheikh Anwarul Haq; Bangladesh Labour Party led by Sekandar Ali Moni and Bangladesh Islamic Party led by MA Rashid Pradhan.
The five other parties of the alliance are: Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal (Jagodal) led by Abdul Malek Chowdhury, Bangladesh Muslim League led by Zobaiyda Quader Choudhury, Insaf Party led by Shahid Chowdhury, Bhashani Front led by Mamtaz Chowdhury and Trinamool NAP Bhashani led by Parveen Naser Sultana.
Of the ten political parties, only two parties — NPP and Muslim League — have the registration with the Election Commission.
Shawkat Hossain Nilu, chairman of a faction of NPP, in a press conference at the Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, announced the formation of the alliance. He also introduced himself as the chief of the alliance while Acting Chairman of the NDP Alamgir Majumdar was introduced as its secretary general.
Nilu was earlier expelled from the 20-party alliance, while Alamgir was expelled from his party NDP.
All the chiefs of the ten parties were present at the launching ceremony of their new alliance.
Talking about the new alliance’s objectives, Shawkat Hossain Nilu said that they have formed the alliance to ensure interests of the people and the country and to run the government of the country.
In a written statement, Nilu outlined a nine-point demand. The demands include dissolving of the 10th Parliament, holding of mid-term election, and declaring February 25 as national mourning day to mark the assassination of 57 army officers during BDR mutiny on that day of 2009.
The NPP leader came down heavily on BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for keeping the 20-party alliance inactive and her illogical decision in several times.
He also strongly criticised the BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, saying that he is an incapable person to run a big political party, as he is an imprudent leader.
Meanwhile, BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday claimed their party-led 20-party alliance is still intact though a few of its ‘opportunist’ leaders quit the camp at the instigation of the government through intelligence agencies.
Without naming the NDF emerged on Thursday with ten parties, including five breakaway factions of 20-party’s components, he said, “There had been a tremendous effort to split the 20-party. Plots are still on to do it through intelligence agencies. All efforts will go in vain and no one of our partners will quit the alliance and it’ll remain intact.”
Mirza Fakhrul also commented against Nilu and the leaders of the newly emerged alliance.
Speaking at a conference of Jatiyatabadi Bastuhara Dal at the Jatiya Press Club marking its 23rd founding anniversary, Fakhrul said that the leaders of the alliance would not be able to sustain. They will be washed away in the wave of movement of the people in the country, he added.
About the leaving of the leaders from the 20-party alliance, he said that the BNP-led alliance has remained unchanged. No party has left the alliance. “We are strong and we will remain strong,” he said, adding that some leaders have left their own parties.
“They cannot resist their greed and, for this reasons they left their parties only for Halua Roti,” he said.
Fakhrul said their alliance will not be affected in any way though a few people left it driven by their greed for immediate benefits.
Recalling that some BNP leaders had also quit party at the instigation of the intelligence agencies, he said most of them returned to party later.
The BNP leader said the ruling party has got so politically bankrupt that it is now trying to divide their alliance by alluring its leaders in many ways, including offering money.
“Despite the government’s evil designs, the alliance is still united to carry out a movement against the misdeeds of the government and restore democracy,” he said.