Dialogue may drag on as govt wants to listen to all

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The dialogue between the government and political parties seems likely to drag on with both sides declining to budge on issues like withdrawal of the state of emergency and parliamentary polls.

While its talks with Awami League (AL) last week did not produce any results, the caretaker administration has yet to succeed in efforts to get parties like BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to join the dialogue.

BNP and Jamaat see unconditional release of Khaleda Zia and Matiur Rahman Nizami as a condition for their joining any discussions with the government.

Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman is however hopeful they would be able to bring all parties to the dialogue as well as the elections.

After the inconclusive sitting with AL, the government said it would hold another round of discussions with the party to resolve the contentious issues.

It also announced there would be a series of talks with political parties exclusively on economic issues. Besides, it would hold discussions with civic groups.

Political observers believe it was in itself a daunting task for the government to have results out of the dialogue initially intended to be wrapped up by June. Now with addition of new plans and focus shifted, it would be even harder.

“There’s no deadline set. The dialogue will continue as long as it takes,” said Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, adding that the government wants to listen to everyone.

Asked about the outcomes so far, he said a lot of discussions are yet to follow. “We are hopeful we will reach a consensus before the parliamentary polls,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Meanwhile, the talks resume today with a meeting between the government and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.

The government is scheduled to sit with Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League tomorrow, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party on July 16 and the Jatiya Party faction led by former minister Anwar Hossain Manju on July 17.

Besides, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to lead talks with rural and urban civic groups at Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district and Khulna city on July 14 and in Sylhet city on July 20.

Since beginning on May 22, the government has held talks with 17 political parties, aiming to forge an agreement on matters like holding of a free and fair national election and reforms in politics.

While the advisers pursue a balance of power between top constitutional positions like the president and the prime minister and elections to local bodies, the political parties keep pressing hard for a full and immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency and parliamentary election first.

At the dialogue, AL placed a set of demands including unconditional release of its President Sheikh Hasina, withdrawal of cases against her, lifting of the state of emergency and a specific date for parliamentary polls.

Referring to the demands, Adviser Hossain Zillur said they have nothing to say since those relate to the law.

Speaking at a joint press briefing after the meeting with advisers, AL acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said, “This is not the last dialogue. We still have many things to discuss.”

Political analysts are not much optimistic about the dialogue. They think instead of working towards a consensus, the government might rather aim for conciliation with the political parties.

They are also doubtful about implementation of the recommendations coming at the talks. As of now, the caretaker administration has shown little interest in taking heed of what the major political parties are saying. All it has done is relaxing some provisions of the emergency power rules in areas going to polls on August 4.

However, it has lauded recommendations of a few political parties that emerged after January 11 last year. It also hailed some civil society groups for backing its holding local polls with the state of emergency in force and plans to enact laws banning student politics and hartals.

“I don’t feel optimistic considering the current state of the dialogue,” Professor Ataur Rahman, a political science teacher of Dhaka University, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He, however, found at least a positive point in the process of dialogue. “Both the sides have been able to clear their positions on the issue of democratic and constitutional changes, and the type of the future government and democracy.”

But that too, he notes, depends on a number of critical factors.

Criticising the political parties, Rahman said they should have realised the value of negotiations in terms of political and democratic changes.

He said the government too has failed to show resolve to facilitate changes through discussions and other means.

“This government will somehow try to accomplish its roadmap through compromise and conciliation to bring all the parties to the elections and hand over power,” he added.

Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique of mass communications and journalism at Dhaka University observed that there should have been some sort of consensus by this time.

“Both sides have raised their points, but there is no sign yet of meaningful interaction between them. They still differ on a number of crucial issues,” he said, adding that the dialogue that does not move forward becomes a mere formality.

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