Leader of the Opposition and head of the 18-party alliance Begum Khaleda Zia on Tuesday met President Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban and sought his initiative for resolution of the political standoff through a meaningful dialogue.Chairperson of the BNP Begum Zia said the President at the head of a 20-member delegation of the opposition alliance, a day after the government inducted new partners from the AL-led alliance partners to run an election-time interim government sans the BNP and its allies.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the 18-party delegationurged President Abdul Hamid to take an initiative for a political dialogue and compromise to resolve the current political deadlock.
“We’ve conveyed him our position regarding the ongoing political crisis. We’ve requested him as head of the state to take an initiative for dialogue as well as compromise to resolve the crisis,” Fakhrul told reporters emerging from the over hour-long meeting with the President at Bangabhaban.
He said the President assured them of taking an initiative within his Constitutional power and hoped that the crisis will be over soon. President Abdul Hamid also assured the opposition delegation of conveying the opposition views to the ruling Awami League, Fakhrul said.
The crucial meeting held at Darbar Hall of the Bangabhaban lasted ah hour. Khaleda reached the Bangabhaban gate around 5:50pm and entered it around 6:20pm, the scheduled time, on completion of formalities.
Meeting sources said that the opposition alliance handed over a written statement conveying its position of different issues, including what they termed as different irregularities of the government like performance of ministerial functions even after submission of resignation letters by ministers, and stalling the move to hold dialogue.
They said the delegation informed the President of the dangers of law and order problems if the government continued with its move to hold one-sided election, and told him that when politicians fail to reach amicable understanding of the problems created for narrow political gains; articles and clauses of the Constitution should not be bars in taking initiative to resolve those rising above all interests for the sake of the country and its People. The 18-party leaders told the President that such a time for the President to play a historic role is now. In the written statement the President was informed that a written letter from BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had been sent to the AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, but there was not response.
The president reminded the opposition delegation of his constitutional limitations of power and functions but assured them of his role in view of the gravity of the situation and covey their messages to the government.
Other members of the delegation were BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Jamiruddin Sircar, ASM Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeswar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Liberal Democratic Party chief Oli Ahmed, BJP chief Andalib Rahman Partha, Islami Oikya Jote chief Abdul Latif Nezami, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer AKM Nazir Ahmed, Khilafat Majlish chief Muhammad Ishaq, Jagpa chief Shafiul Alam Pradhan, NPP chief Shawkat Hossain Nilu, NDP chief Khandker Golam Murtaza, Kalyan Party chief Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, Bangladesh NAP Chairman Jebel Rahman Gani and Labour Party chief Mustafizur Rahman Eran. – Staff Reporter
