BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has blamed the Prime Minister
for closing the ‘doors of reconciliation’.
Fakhrul said the Opposition is prepared to start an unconditional
dialogue ‘right now’ involving Secretaries General of the two leading
parties, Awami League and BNP.
“The Opposition Leader had agreed to the proposal given by business
leaders for starting talks at the level of Secretaries General. But
the Prime Minister seems to be closing down that option,” he told
reporters at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.
The Awami League has said the Opposition must withdraw its nationwide
strikes if it wants talks to start.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam has said the
strikes were a ‘major impediment’ for holding talks.
Top business leaders of the country had last week taken an initiative
to broker a settlement to avert a political crisis with two major
political alliances taking conflicting stance over the form of the
government which would oversee the next national elections.
They met Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office on
Saturday after meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
After the meeting, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed told
reporters, “The Opposition Leader has agreed to our proposal for
unconditional Secretary General-level talks between the two political
parties to end the political impasse.”
But addressing the BNP chief at a rally on Sunday, Awami League
President Hasina said, “The path to dialogue is still open. But you
have to withdraw the strike.”
Mirza Fakhrul on Monday said, “We want to make it clear that we have
no condition for talks. We are ready to sit right now if the
government takes initiative to hold talks on nonpartisan government at
a fixed time.”
He reiterated the Opposition’s allegation that the government was not
sincere to hold dialogue. “The Prime Minister is creating confusion
among the people.”
The BNP-led 18-Party alliance is observing a 60-hour nationwide
general strike from 6am Monday to push for its demand for a non-party
polls-time government.
Police and RAB personnel were deputed in front of the BNP headquarters
since Sunday evening ahead of the strike.
Fakhrul entered the party office early in the morning, before 6am.
Several other leaders including Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir
Rizvi, metropolitan unit Member Secretary Abdus Salam and Assistant
Office Secretary Abdul Latif Jony spent Sunday night at the office.
Police were not allowing any party leaders and activists to enter the
headquarters since Monday morning, they alleged.
Responding to a query, Fakhrul said, “I have said earlier that we
don’t want to discuss the all-party government issue. We want to
discuss the non-party government. And the government will have to come
forth regarding that.”
When his attention was drawn to Syed Ashraful Islam’s condition that
talks could be held only after the strike is withdrawn, the BNP
spokesperson said, “Talks cannot take place on any preconditions.”
“I had sent him [Ashraful] a letter asking him to start the dialogue
to end the crisis. But we are yet to receive any response.”
The Opposition was forced to call the 60-hour shutdown because of the
government’s stand to hold unilateral polls, Fakhrul added.
He said, “The Prime Minister blamed the Opposition for the deaths of
20 people during the last shutdown. They were killed by police and
Awami League activists. The government will have to take
responsibility for that.”
The Opposition coalition had observed another 60-hour nationwide
strike last week over the similar demand. – bdnews24.com
