Govt expresses intention to start dialogue with BNP
Apart from absorbing the pressure from the international community for holding early elections, one of the government’s key priorities is to ensure good governance and law and order in a bid to have better electoral performance in the next election whenever it is held. Though the new ministers yesterday expressed their intention to remain in power for the full five-year term, the party high-command feels it would be a tough job amid pressure at home and abroad.
The ruling party has already expressed its intention to involve BNP in the dialogue process, sensing the pressure, and urged it to refrain from violent political programmes, party leaders said.
“The first priority of the government would be to maintain law and order, to start the construction of the Padma Bridge and to ensure that the government ministers and high ups remain clean in delegating their responsibilities,” influential AL leader and Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu told The Independent yesterday.
The international community, except India, has expressed strong reservations about the January 5 polls, which was boycotted by BNP and they are urging both the AL and the BNP to hold talks for fresh polls which will be inclusive and participatory.
BNP claims that the present government has no legal and moral right to rule the country as the Jan 5 election was not participatory, and terms the election ‘farcical’.
After taking the charge of their ministries yesterday, almost all the ministers stated that this government will remain in power for the next five years as per the constitution. But they also dropped the hint to hold dialogue with BNP, their main political opponent.
The government has been sworn in for five years, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said on Monday adding that improving law and order situation in the country will be the main challenge for them.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, also the general secretary of AL, also echoed the same.
“We have been elected for five years. We will not stay in power even five days more that the stipulated timeframe” Ashraf told reporters on Monday.
However he claimed that a dialogue was underway between the two major parties behind the scene to end the current deadlock.
The dialogue efforts are moving faster than before, Ashraf said adding “I know the art of politics. I am very much convinced that BNP will come to the talks and through this the ongoing political crisis will end.”
Tofail also emphasised on finding a way forward to hold a participatory election next time but he said the solution should come from within the country, not from anywhere else.
He also hailed the BNP decision to postpone hartal and blockade programmes, saying “the good sense finally prevailed on them”.
On the other hand, newly inducted Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim said, “Dialogue with the BNP to end the ongoing political deadlock is possible only if it severs its ties with the Jamaat-e-Islami.”
Awami League will take positive steps to create a congenial atmosphere for holding talks with the BNP, the minister said, after arriving at his office for the first day.
Courtesy of The Independent
