Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Sunday evening and apprised him about the country’s overall situation, reports UNB.
During the meeting that began at 6.25pm and ended 7.33 pm, the premier enquired about the health condition of the President as he returned home on December 6 after a medical checkup from Singapore, President’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters after the meeting. He said the President and the Prime Minister discussed Hamid’s Monday’s South Africa visit to show last respect to the memories of legendary leader Nelson Mandela on behalf of himself and the people of Bangladesh.
Many heads of state and the government are scheduled to go to South Africa to pay their last respects to the towering figure.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam during the meeting.
Earlier, the President received the Prime Minister with a bouquet as she along with Ashraf reached the presidential place around 6:22pm.
Secretaries and high officials of both the President and Prime Minister’s offices were present.
The meeting was held at a time when UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández Taranco is in the city and holding a series of meetings with political parties and the Election Commission to help Bangladesh find a solution to the ongoing political crisis over the 10th parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, Taranco had separate meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition leader Khaleda Zia, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and the Election Commission and elaborately discussed how an inclusive election could be held.
The UN special envoy is likely to meet the Prime Minister and the opposition leader again.
The Prime Minister is believed to have discussed with the President the current political situation, outcomes of her discussions with the UN envoy and the January-5 election.
Earlier, opposition leader Khaleda Zia and six noted citizens, including Dr Kamal and Akbar Ali Khand, met the President and sought his initiative for holding a free and fair election with the participation of all parties by breaking the political deadlock.
Our Staff Reporter adds:?Awami League (AL) advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu on Sunday said that his party and its alliance partners will have no objection if the Election Commission postpones the schedule for the 10th parliamentary election.
“If the country’s major political parties can reach an understanding over holding the next election, and the Election Commission reschedules the 10th parliamentary polls, AL and its allies will accept the EC decision,” he said while talking to journalists at the secretariat.
Amir Hossain Amu, also the Land and Disaster Management minister of the poll-time government, told journalists that local and international efforts are underway to woo main opposition BNP to contest the next general election slated for January 5 and, make it acceptable to all.
Answering to a query whether the next polls will be acceptable without the participation of main opposition BNP, the minister said that the credibility of the election would not depend on any particular political party; rather it depends on the participation of the people.
“No matter which party will participate or boycott the upcoming polls, it will be acceptable if majority of the people take part in the polls as the government is of the people, for the people and by the people. The election does not depend on any particular political party,” said Amu.
Replying to another question, the minister said, “If the BNP or Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) do not participate in the next polls, even then, the election can not be termed one-sided because many political parties including Tarikat Federation are going to participate in the election.”
At a separate programme in the capital, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said no dialogue will be held with main opposition BNP as it repeatedly rejected the government’s offer to sit for a dialogue to resolve the ever increasing political impasse.
Hanif was addressing a protest rally organised by the Dhaka City unit of Juba League at Bangabandhu Avenue.
He also said the next election will be held as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission despite the destructive activities being carried out by the BNP-Jamaat alliance.
“No one will be able to foil the forthcoming election slated for January 5,” he added.
Hanif also urged the government to take legal actions against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the party’s Vice Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury for instigating BNP leaders and activists to unleash a reign of terror across the country in the last couple of weeks.
Terming the BNP a ‘terrorist outfit’, Hanif said “The party is no longer a political party as they are enforcing sabotage-like programmes in the name of political movement.”
In another programme, Forest and Environment Minister Hasan Mahmud said that Ershad and his party will ultimately join the 10th parliamentary election.
Referring to Ershad’s decision to boycott the election, Hasan Mahmud said “The Jatiya Party chief says something in the morning and changes it in the evening. So, we will have to wait until the last moment to see the last episode of his recent drama over joining the polls.” He also expressed hope that the last episode of Ershad’s drama will be in favour of the country’s democracy and holding of the next election.
-With UNB/The Independent input
