LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday said discussions between the government and BNP is going on behind the scene.
“Dialogue hasn’t stopped…it’s going on speedily,” he said while talking to reporters after joining his office at the secretariat.
He, however, said Awami League has returned to power for five years and they will try to implement its election manifesto in the next five years.
“Implementation of the election manifesto and discussion for ending the political deadlock will continue at the same time,” said Ashraf, also the general secretary of the ruling Awami League.
BNP on Monday described the present political crisis as a grave one and demanded an effective initiative for dialogue to overcome it.
“Awami League couldn’t establish people’s government as it assumed power through a so-called one-sided election by abusing the state machinery. We want to say that there’s no other path to overcome the crisis to reach a consensus without an effective dialogue,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement.
He also demanded the government resign immediately and arrange polls under a non-party government.
Fakhrul urged the government to shun the path of stubbornness saying, “It’s not a bow-down if anyone respects the public opinion …it’s possible to take real patriotic and statesmanship decision. We think it’s possible to save Bangladesh from this grave crisis by holding an election under non-party government with the participation of all political parties through the real democratic way shunning the arrogance and showing respect to public opinion.
“The sooner it is done the better it is for the country,” the BNP leader added.
Criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s version that she would not bow down to any pressure, Fakhrul said, “The Prime Minister is lost in reverie with fake rejoicement by winning the farcical elections. Through her natural remarks she informed the nation she doesn’t care for the opinion of the country’s people and of the international community.”
“We think the Prime Minister wants to throw the country into a deep darkness of instability through using merciless use of state machinery, snatching people’s democratic right, oppression. She has been ignoring the opinion of foreign countries and agencies at the age of this globalised world,” he added.
-UNB
