Govt asked to declare specific poll date, lift emergency

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Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Workers Party of Bangladesh yesterday asked the government to declare specific date for holding the national election in line with the electoral roadmap and to lift the state of emergency.

At separate meetings with four advisers, both the left parties also called for trying the war criminals and implementing National Women Development Policy 2008 without any change.

Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader, LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal and Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman sat with the representatives of the parties at the state guesthouse Meghna as part of the ongoing informal talks to prepare grounds for the forthcoming formal dialogue.

Earlier the panel of advisers held informal pre-dialogue talks with Awami League, Saifur Rahman-led BNP faction, Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party.

Both CPB and Workers Party said that they would not take part in the formal dialogue together with Jamaat-e-Islami and other anti-liberation war elements.

The meeting with CPB started at 12 noon and lasted for about two hours. Led by acting president Shahidullah Chowdhury, the five-member CPB team placed 13-point proposal to the panel of advisers during the meeting.

“We have proposed displaying election countdown on public billboards (digital) to dispel doubts among people over holding of the election as per the electoral roadmap,” CPB General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim told reporters after the meeting.

The party’s 13-point proposal also includes restoring democratic rights of people, holding the national elections before the local government body polls and forming special tribunal to try the war criminals

“We also informed the advisers that the government has deviated from its previous strong position on anti-corruption drive,” he said.

The people now believe that the anti-corruption drive is being largely used as part of implementing some ‘game plan,’ Selim added.

About local government elections, the CPB leader said that though it is an important issue, it is not the number one task of the government.

At around 2.00pm at the same venue, the advisers sat with the five-member Workers Party team led by general secretary Bimal Biswas.

During the one and a half hours long talks, the Workers Party team urged the government for taking immediate steps to rein in the spiralling prices of essentials.

Talking to the reporters after the meetings, Hossain Zillur Rahman said that they would move on to the formal dialogues with the parties shortly after holding the informal talks with some other political parties.

It is important to create an environment of trust for holding a credible election, he said.

Political culture, process and structures are also important alongside the qualitative change in politics, the commerce adviser added.

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