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BNP ropes in 17 allies
[Bangla Daily Star] The BNP-led four-party alliance yesterday expanded to an "18-party alliance" aimed at strengthening the movement for restoration of the caretaker government system and formation of a "patriotic government" to fulfil people's aspirations.BNP Chairperson  Khaleda ZiaThree-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... announced this at a presser at Diploma Engineers' Institution in the capital. Reading out a declaration paper on the 18-party alliance, Khaleda said expansion of the four-party combine was a necessity in view of demands from "all parties and people from all walks of life to be united to compel the present government to hand over power to a non-party caretaker government. It was a demand of time." She went on, "Our goal is to build a tougher movement for the formation of a patriotic government to meet the challenge of time and fulfil the aspirations of people." The leader of the opposition in parliament urged all to form committees across the country to strengthen the anti-government movement. The new components of the 18-party combine include Liberal Democratic Party, Kalyan Party, Jatiya Gana tantrik Party (Jagpa), National People's Party (NPP) and Bangladesh NAP, and seven other parties not registered with the Election Commission -- Bangladesh Labour Party, National Democratic Party (NDP), Moslem League, Islamic Party, National Awami Party (NAP-Bhasani), Democratic League and People's League. Among the leaders of these parties, only LDP Chairman Oli Ahmad won the last parliamentary polls. Most of the new components of the expanded alliance are known as name-only parties. The four-party alliance was formed in 1999 to intensify the movement against the then Awami League-led government. It comprised BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , Islami Oikya Jote ... a political party in Bangladesh. In the 2001 elections the party won 2 out of 300 elected members in an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It has a focus on building an islamic state, and has used the madrassas to gain support... (IOJ) and Bangladesh Jatiya Party ...aka Jatiya Front; a political party established by Bangladictator Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986 to lend a veneer of respectability to his rule. Since nobody was amused he was forced to resign by popular demand in 1990. The party remains in existence with about a dozen seats in Bangla's parliament... (BJP). Later, IOJ split into three factions -- IOJ (Aminee), Khelafat Majlish and Jomiyote Ulamaye Islam-- and all of these were active in the four-party combine. Most of the alliance partners of BNP keep their activities limited to forming human chains and holding discussion meetings. Posted by: Fred 2012-04-19 |
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