Dhaka: The leaders of Jukta Front and Gano Forum sat in a meeting here on Tuesday night and discussed various issues for foraging a greater national unity ahead of the next general election.

The meeting began around 8pm at Gano Forum president Dr Kamal Hossain’s Bailey Road residence and continued till 9:45pm.

Apart from Kamal Hossain, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, its general secretary Abdul Manna, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) president ASM Abdur Rob, its general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna and pro-BNP intellectual Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, joined the meeting.

Contacted, B Chowdhury’s press secretary Jahangir Alam said Jukta Front presented a seven-point proposal on which the national unity will be forged.

He said the meeting accepted the proposals and agreed to make the unity based on those.

The proposals include forging a unity of all like-mined, non-communal, democratic and pro-liberation parties except Jamaat-e-Islami and other anti-liberation ones, in the national interests, ensuring freedom of speech, press freedom and freedom of association and meetings, establishing the rule of law, ensuring the independence of the judiciary and holding a neutral and acceptable election.

It also proposed ensuring a balance between parliament and the government to stop political obstinacy, announcing an election roadmap through discussion with political parties before the announcement of the election schedule, dissolving parliament and revoking the cabinet, and not arresting activists of any political party until the end of the polls and releasing all the students and political prisoners before the announcement of the election schedule.

Earlier on August 20, Dr Kamal Hossain and Jukta Front leaders had a meeting at B Chowdhury’s Baridhara residence.

The Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum and newly formed Jukta Front, led by B Chowdhury, have long been trying to forge a national unity to hold the next polls in a fair and credible manner and bring a positive change in politics.