Dhaka: Newly formed Jatiya Oikya Front will start its programmes through holding a grand rally in Sylhet city on Oct 23 to mobilise public support in favour of its 7-point demand for holding a credible election.

Oikya front leader and JSD president ASM Abdur Rob announced the programme after the first meeting of the opposition alliance at his Uttara residence, reports the UNB.

He said they will go to Sylhet on October 23 and offer fatheha at the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal ® and Shah Paran ®, and then hold a grand rally in the city.

After Sylhet, Rob said, they will gradually hold public rallies in all other divisional cities, including Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khjulna and Rangpur.

On October13, BNP together with Dr Kama-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, JSD and Nagorik Oikya launched the Jatiy Oikya Front.

Rob said the Oikya Front leaders at their maiden meeting took two decisions—forming a liaison committee involving the alliance leaders and holding grand rallies.

The JSD leader sought cooperation of the government and the administration to peacefully hold their programmes ahead of the national election.

He said the Front leaders will hold another meeting on Wednesday, and then announce the names of the liaison committee members.

The meeting began around 12:15pm and continued for around two-and-a-half hours.

At one stage of the meeting, former caretaker government adviser Mainul Hosein attended it.

Apart from Rob and Hosein, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, Gano Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, and former vice president of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed were present at the meeting.