Bangladesh News

The government yesterday started the pre-polls formal dialogue with political parties, meeting the Workers Party of Bangladesh (WP) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) and assuring them all “necessary” steps to ensure other parties’ participation in the talks.

But the Awami League acting president took the wind out of the dialogue’s sails yesterday, saying the party is still unsure about its participation thanks to the detention of party chief Sheikh Hasina.

The first two of the much-awaited meetings also fleshed out some key points of the government agenda for the talks, including how the next government could review the constitution and create a national charter to build a “moral political consensus” among all parties.

In the first dialogue, WP demanded that the government lift the state of emergency and the conditions on political activities, withdraw control over the media, hold general elections before local elections, and stop “interference” by military and non-military intelligence agencies.

The dialogue went on for around two hours and was attended by the chief adviser in the first hour. Five advisers represented the government side.

“They told us they will take all necessary steps to ensure that all political parties will take part to make the talks effective,” said WP President Rashed Khan Menon at a joint press briefing after the dialogue at the Chief Adviser’s Office.

Menon said they told the government they should release detained former prime minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina as there are many “irregularities” and “interferences” in her trial.

“They did not give us a specific answer to that question,” Menon added.

He said WP would never accept any “top-down imposition” of a change in the governance system such as expanding or curtailing the power of the president or the prime minister.

Commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman told the briefing the government had to clarify that it would only work as “facilitator” in creating a national charter, which would act to build a “national political consensus”.

He said any review of the Constitution like amending article 70 would have to be made in parliament, but they discussed ways how this could be done.

In terms of local elections, he said nothing would be done to distract the government’s focus from the general elections.

Meanwhile in the other dialogue in the afternoon, a BDB delegation led by former president and party chief Badruddoza Chowdhury proposed greater balance between presidential and prime ministerial power and shortening government terms to four years.

The BDB delegates also proposed formation of a constitutional commission, demanded withdrawal of the state of emergency but asked for a “protective” emergency during polls. They also suggested the next government must be based on a consensus.

BDB leader Mahi B Chowdhury told a joint press briefing after the meet they asked the government to balance the power between the president and the prime minister because they feel the president’s role is too ceremonial.

He also said the elected government’s tenure should be curtailed to four years, but a referendum would be held after its first two years in office to check if it still carries the popular mandate.

If not, BDB proposes, the government would immediately hand over power to an interim government.

He also said the next elections, and therefore the next government, have to be a “consensus government” to build the country’s “democratic future”.

Mahi said they also proposed a greater representation of civil society leaders, women and minorities in parliament.