People opposing national unity branding Jukta Front as advance king’s party
Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed, Former Vice Chancellor, Dhaka University :
People opposed to the national unity are branding ‘Jukta Front’ as an advance king’s party. They are branding ‘Jukta Front’ as an advance king’s party only to thwart the unity process between BNP and Jukta Front. Jukta Front is just a front against the government. It is a matter of further discussion as to what their demands are and how much the demands can be fulfilled.
Discussion over the primary conditions with BNP-Jukta Front or Dr Kamal Hossain is now at the last stage. Have they formally placed their demand that they want an alliance in power for two years? Time will say what will be their next course action and modus operandi. The demand seeking state power for two years might have come from Malaysia. The force against which the platform has been floated is very powerful. The alliance is still confined to discussion and no effective process has come yet.
Right at this moment, it is not easy to say how much space BNP will give or how much it should be given to Juka Front. BNP wants to achieve 151 constituencies as a self-defence. To this end, BNP will have to keep at least 200 constituencies. BNP will negotiate over fundamental issue, if need be. Why it should not be so? Awami League will have to compromise with Jatiya party if the latter does not contest the elections separately.
The unity process with Jukta Front is still at a nascent stage. A meeting is scheduled to be held on September 22, let’s wait and see.
An anti-government unity process is continuing. The efforts are going on and nothing has been finalised yet. It is an effort. Everything will be clear on September 22. BNP is in favour of an anti-government alliance. The alliance is between BNP and Jukta Front. The 20-party combine does not exist now. The unity is not with the 20-party combine. Therefore, the question of Jamaat is irrelevant here.
Based on an interview by Ashiq Rahman, translated by Hossen Sohel