Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday made it clear that she would form an all-party poll-time government with small political parties, if the BNP does not respond to her proposal, sources said.
The Prime Minister told her cabinet colleagues that she would hold talks with these parties individually on the formation of her proposed all-party poll-time government, a minister told The Independent, adding that she had already invited the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) over telephone.
Hasina spoke to the CPB president, Muzahidul Islam Selim, and the general secretary of the BSD, Khalekuzzaman, on Sunday.
“She (PM) is likely to make a phone call to the president of Gano Forum, Dr Kamal Hossain soon. They will meet the Prime Minister on Tuesday evening at Ganobhaban,” the minister said.
The Prime Minister expressed serious concern over the current political violence and asked leaders and activists of the Awami League and its allies to tackle the situation on the streets. She also asked the home minister to deal strongly with those committing crimes and sabotage in the name of movement.
The minister, quoting the PM, said hartal supporters have been trying to create chaos and anarchy by killing people just like they did during the 1971 Liberation War. “We have to resist them at any cost,” the PM said.
During the cabinet meeting, Hasina informed her cabinet colleagues about the phone call to the Opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, on Saturday. The PM told them that Khaleda became belligerent at one stage during the phone call. During her 37-minuite telephone talk, Hasina also discussed the incident of grenade attack on her rally at the Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.
During the cabinet meeting, Hasina also discussed the poll schedule and election date. The minister, quoting the PM, said the Election Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule by the first week of December and the election date is likely to be fixed by January 15.
Quoting the PM, the senior minister said the Opposition party will participate in the upcoming general election at the last moment.
The cabinet approved the draft of the Public-Private-Partnership Bill, 2013 to accelerate economic development. It also approved the Strategy Paper titled National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS).
The drafts of the Comilla University (Amendment) Act, 2013, University of Barisal (Amendment) Act, 2013 and the Khulna Agriculture University Act, 2013 were also approved at the cabinet meeting on Monday. The cabinet also approved the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Bill, 2013.
During the meeting, the foreign ministry apprised the cabinet of the Bangladesh delegates’ participation at the 68th UN General Assembly in New York and the participation of the Bangladesh delegation at the high-level meeting on Culture of Peace and Non-Violence.
-With The Independent input
