Bangladesh News

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader yesterday said the government is leaving no stones unturned to bring Awami League (AL) and BNP to the ongoing political dialogue with the government.

“It is the political parties that demanded the dialogue. It is they who earlier said no condition can be imposed. You see, the government has not imposed any conditions,” the adviser said talking about the government initiatives to bring AL and BNP to the table.

”Now it is their duty to join the dialogue,” Quader told reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat.

Trying to explain that the government is not the opponent of political parties, he said, “We would not contest the upcoming [parliamentary] elections.”

The elections will be fair and the future would be better if an understanding between political parties could be reached, “which we want”, said Quader, also the adviser for housing and public works.

He said the government is in constant contact with the two political parties.

Asked about what the next government move is since the two major parties said they would not join the dialogue without their freed chiefs to lead their delegations, Quader said, “The government will use all available means to persuade them.”

He, however, declined to make any comment when asked if the government’s initiatives included the release of the two detained former premiers, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman, also involved in coordinating the dialogue process, said the demand for the ex-premiers’ release is being seriously considered to make the ongoing dialogues a success.