The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the government to take initiatives for holding an effective as well as a meaningful dialogue between the country’s two top political parties to overcome the prevailing political stalemate over the poll-time administration. “A phone call is not enough for a dialogue; a congenial atmosphere is needed to make the talk effective and meaningful. The government itself will have to take the initiative in this regard,” BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islma Alamgir made the plea on Monday afternoon.
“We’re prepared to sit with the government for talks anytime after October 29. Please stop resorting to repressive measures on the opposition to reach a consensus over the poll-time non-party administration,” he said.
Alamgir, also acting secretary general of the party, was addressing a press conference at the party’s Naya Paltan central office in the capital on the second-day of the 60-hour nationwide hartal on Monday.
Referring to the reports published in different media outlets regarding the meal of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, Alamgir said that the country’s two political archrivals were not going to hold a get-together. “The country is passing through a critical phase. We hope the two leaders will resolve the crisis over the non-party caretaker government (CG) issue through a fruitful dialogue for the sake of peace and democratic progress,” he added.
At a press conference of the Awami League-led 14-party Grand Alliance on Monday, Mohammad Nasim, a presidium member of the party, said it was for the BNP to take the initiative as they had ignored the PM’s call for a dinner dialogue.
Responding to a query in this regard, Alamgir said that the comment meant that the government was not keen to sit for a dialogue with the BNP. “Why should we call the government? It’s the government’s responsibility. The government should invite the opposition to pave the way for talks. It was wise of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to initiate such a step, but she didn’t complete the process. We were forced to go for the 60-hour hartal,” he added.
When asked about the government’s fresh move to drop the Representation of the People Order (RPO) of three-year mandatory party membership, the BNP leader said the AL was moving towards a one-party general election.
The Election Commission was subservient to the government and was working to meet the ruling party’s blueprint agenda, he alleged.
The PM had made a phone call to BNP chief Khaleda Zia at a moment when there was no scope to call off the 60-hour nationwide hartal, he told a reporter.
Alamgir said that at least 15 people were killed in different parts of the country, centring the non-party CG issue, in the past three days. The ruling AL was responsible for these deaths, he said, in response to another question.
When asked about the party’s claim about the legality of the government, Alamgir said, “We speak many things in political language, but we place our demand before those who remain in state power.” He also blamed the government for the violence in which at least 15 people were killed, including three persons on Monday, and 51,00 were injured across the country.
The BNP leader said that around 2,000 opposition party workers had been arrested from different parts of the country and that the police lodged several cases implicating at least 67,000 party men with different charges.
-With The Independent input
