Leaders of country’s major political parties have praised the initiative of US Secretary of State John Kerry for a “constructive dialogue” between the government and the opposition. American Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena on Sunday delivered two separate letters from John Kerry to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia for such talks. In his letters, the US Secretary of State reportedly expressed his concern over the ongoing political stalemate in Bangladesh and urged the prime minister and the opposition leader to engage in “a constructive dialogue to find a way forward towards free, fair and credible elections.”
Reacting to the initiative from the highest-ranking American official so far for a government-opposition dialogue for a free and fair election in Bangladesh, Awami League leader and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said: “I am viewing this effort of Mr. Kerry from a positive angle.”
In an interview with BBC Bengali Service on Monday, Matia Chowdhury who is also a member of the ruling Awami League’s powerful presidium welcomed the initiative for a dialogue between the government and the opposition and said: “I also welcome participation of all concerned in the election.”
Matia Chowdhury, however, said she hoped that the US Secretary of State would not ask them to do anything violating the Constitution of the country exactly the way he himself wouldn’t do anything back home in his own country by going against their own Constitution.
Talking to The Independent, senior standing committee member of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Barrister Moudud Ahmed hailed Kerry’s move saying it reflected the global opinion in favour of his party’s demand for holding a participatory and credible election.
“Not only the United States, the friends of Bangladesh across the world want to see a free and fair election in our country which is possible only under a neutral and non-party caretaker government,” he said.
The BNP stalwart expressed his hope that in response to the demand of the opposition, the government will take step for holding a free and fair election under the caretaker government. BNP is always ready to have a dialogue with the government over caretaker government issue, he added.
Commenting on Kerry’s letter, another Awami League leader Suranjit Sengupta said: “It’s a part of the political culture to exchange letters. Sometimes we exchange letters between ourselves and sometimes we get it from outside. But no advocate from abroad could resolve the political crisis. We have to settle it ourselves through discussion.”
Gonoforum president and country’s eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said that not only the global leaders, all people want to see dialogue among the political parties for resolution of the current political crisis.
“We have been talking about the necessity of dialogue to settle the political crisis for a long time. The letters of John Kerry have also reflected it. There is nothing objectionable about sending letters,” he added.
“People also demand that both the ruling and the opposition parties sit for talks. We hope a good decision would come out through the dialogue and a free and fair election would be held in the country,” Dr. Kamal Hossain said.
-With The Independent input
