Partha’s BJP leaves 20-party alliance

Andaleeve Rahman Partha, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), one of the key partners of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, on Monday quit the coalition for various reason, including swearing in by seven MPs-elect of Jatiya Oikyafront, reports UNB.

“We’ve left the 20-party alliance for a few reasons. BNP has now become too much Oikyafront oriented, while the 20-party has now become a platform only to express solidarity with BNP’s decisions,” Partha told over phone.

He said BNP together with 20-party turned down the December-30 ‘farcical’ election. “Like the country’s people, our party got stunned as Oikyafront’s seven MPs-elect took oath. BNP didn’t consult the 20-party partners about its decision to join parliament.”

Partha said their party thinks BNP and Oikyafront have lost moral rights to reject the December-30 election of ‘vote robbery’ as their MPs-elect were sworn in.

“So, considering the current political situation, BJP has decided to come out of all the political activities of the 20-party.”

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia formed the four-party alliance with Jamaat, Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jote in 1997.

However, the Ershad-led Jatiya Party did not join the election in alliance with BNP in 2001.

As the BNP-led alliance got a massive victory in 2001 election, then Jatiya Party secretary general Naziur Rahman Manzur, Partha’s father, quit the party and joined the four-parry alliance floating new party BJP.

After his father’s death in 2008, Partha took the helm of BJP and played an active role as a top leader of the 20-party.