Sylhet: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said Jatiya Oikyafront will join the proposed talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if election-centric agenda is fixed, reports the UNB.

 ’We don’t know what will be the agenda of the talks. Our only agenda is to have the election revoked. Jatiya Oikyafront will consider joining the dialogue if election-centric agenda is fixed,’ he said while talking to reporters after offering fateha at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R).

Fakhrul, also the spokesman of Oikyafront, said the December-30 election must be annulled and the current ‘incompetent’ Election Commission will have to be reconstituted to hold a fresh national election under a non-party neutral government.

‘The government will have to be formed through holding a credible election under an impartial government and Election Commission,’ he said.

The BNP leader said the fresh initiative for dialogue will not be fruitful like the one held before the 11th parliamentary election if their demand for holding a fresh national election under a non-party government is not accepted.

Replying to a question, Fakhrul said Oikyafront remains intact and there is no conflict among its partners.

On Sunday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold fresh dialogues with the political parties that joined talks at Ganobhaban before the December-30 election.

Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain appreciated the Prime Minister’s decision to hold fresh talks with political parties, saying it is a positive step.

Talking to UNB, he also said they will take a positive decision about joining the dialogue with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after discussions with their alliance partners. 

Fakhrul together with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rob) president ASM Abdur Rob, Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddiqui, Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury and general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu reached Sylhet by air around 11:45am.

From the airport, they went to the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R).

They also offered fateha at the shrines Shah Paran (R) before going to violence-hit Balaganj upazila where a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader was gunned down by criminals on December 30, the voting day.

The Oikyafront leaders are scheduled to offer fateha at the grave of slain Balaganj JCD general secretary Sayem Ahmed Sohel, and meet his bereaved family members to console them.

The Oikyafront leaders will also visit some election violence-hit areas in the upazila before returning to Dhaka.

JCD leader Sayem Ahmed was shot to death during a clash over occupying Azizpur Government Primary School polling centre in Balaganj upazila on December 30.