Bangladesh News

Two caretaker government advisers separately invited both factions of BNP to ‘informal’ talks with the government as part of the government’s preparation for holding dialogues with political parties.

In immediate reactions to the invitation, pro-Khaleda faction said their general secretary must talk to the detained party chief Khaleda Zia before accepting the invitation, while Saifur-led rival faction immediately accepted the invitation in principle, pending finalisation of it in appropriate forum.

Education and Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman on Monday night made a phone call to pro-Khaleda leader also BNP’s Acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed and invited his faction to sit with the government in an ‘informal’ talk, while Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader yesterday talked to Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, acting secretary general of pro-Saifur faction, over the phone extending the same invitation to his group too.

Khaleda appointed BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain discussed the invitation with senior leaders of pro-Khaleda faction in his residence in the capital yesterday afternoon.

Standing committee members RA Gani, Tanveer Ahmed Siddique, Khandaker Mahbubuddin Ahmad and M Shamsul Islam, Chairperson’s Adviser Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, TH Khan, and Rizvi Ahmed were present at the meeting.

“The government has invited us to an informal talk but we can’t take any decision without talking to the party chairperson,” Delwar told reporters adding that Rizvi Ahmed already conveyed the message to the military backed caretaker government advisers.

When asked about the government proposal, Rizvi told The Daily Star, “He [the government adviser] told me that they want to sit in an introductory meeting with us, and I told him that we must discuss the matter with our chairperson before taking a decision.”

Asked about what response did he get from pro-Khaleda faction of BNP regarding the invitation, Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told The Daily Star last night over the phone, “I will not make any comment at the moment. You will know everything in due time.”

Pro-Saifur faction leaders also confirmed that they received the government invitation for an ‘informal’ talk yesterday. Maj (retd) Hafiz of the faction told the inviter that they will inform him about their faction’s position on the matter after discussing it among themselves.

“The government has contacted us today and proposed an informal talk. We will finalise our decision after discussing the matter among our leaders,” Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a leader of pro-Saifur faction also a member of the BNP standing committee, told The Daily Star last evening before leaders of the faction including Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Maj (retd) Hafiz, and Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman met in Saifur’s residence yesterday and discussed the matter.

Meeting sources later said Saifur-led faction accepted the government invitation in principle, and Maj (retd) Hafiz is to communicate with the government to finalise the meeting venue and agenda.

Hafiz, however, told The Daily Star last night, “We are discussing the matter.”

On Monday, five government advisers held an ‘unofficial’ talk with four senior Awami League (AL) leaders to discuss the nature and agenda of the upcoming dialogues between the government and political parties.

Meanwhile, US Chargé d’Affaires Geeta Pasi yesterday afternoon met pro-Khaleda leaders of BNP including Khaleda Zia appointed Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain in his Nam flat in the capital.

Welcoming the planned government-political party dialogues, Geeta Pasi said, “Political parties have a critical role to play in democracy and in holding free, fair and participatory elections in Bangladesh.”

“Holding the election by this year and the call for dialogues with political parties, are meant for building a passage of exit from the interim period,” she said hinting at the chief adviser’s recent public assurance that the stalled ninth parliamentary election will be held by the year end maintaining the course of the announce electoral roadmap, and that dialogues between political parties and his government will be opened soon to expedite the process.

Geeta Pasi met Awami League Acting President Zillur Rahman and BNP’s ostensibly pro-reform faction chief Saifur Rahman on March 9 as part of her own dialogues with political leaders.