Public hearing on 30 December poll begins

The Jatiya Oikya Front's public hearing on the 'irregularities' in the 11th parliamentary elections began in the capital city on Friday morning, reports UNB.

The programme, which began at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium around 10:00am, will continue around 5:00pm with a one-hour break from 1:00pm.

At the beginning of the programme, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir read out a condolence motion in memory of those killed in Chawkbazar fire incident.

The Oikya Front leaders and activists also paid homage to the fire victims by observing a one-minute silence.

A munajat was also offered seeking salvation of the victims' departed souls and praying for the early recovery of those suffered injuries.

Later, a six-member panel, led by Oikya Front convener Kamal Hossain, started hearing the statements of the alliance candidates who contested the elections.

Other members of the panel are professor Emajuddin Ahmed, former judge AKM Anisur Rahman Khan, professor Nurul Amin Bepari, professor Dilara Chowdhury and advocate Mohsin Rashid.

Senior leaders of the BNP, Gano Forum, JSD, Nagorik Oikya and Krishak Sramik Janata League, Oikya Front's candidates in the 11th parliamentary polls and activists and supporters of the alliance joined the programme.

The public hearing was originally rescheduled to be held on 24 February. However, Oikya Front rescheduled it for 22 February as they failed to manage any venue in the capital to hold the programme on 24 February.

All the candidates of the Jatiya Oikya Front and the left democratic alliance were invited to join the public hearing.