Dhaka, Jan 14 – Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said the political parties will be invited for exchanging greetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but not for holding any dialogue.“The political parties will not be invited for holding dialogue. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants to invite the political parties to greet them following the national election as she invited the parties for dialogue before the polls,” he said.
Quader came up with the statement at an extended meeting of Dhaka City South unit of AL at the party office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city aiming at making success the ‘Victory Rally’ on January 19 at Suhrawardy Udyan marking the landslide victory of AL in the December 30 parliamentary election. His change of tone came one day after Jatiya Oikya Front chief Dr Kamal Hossain welcomes the PM’s move for dialogue and expressed his desire to join, and the day Oikya Front’s spokesman Mirza Fakhrul said dialogue only if the agenda was on the election.
AL Joint General Secretary and Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Joint General Secretary Abdur Rahman and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokan addressed the meeting as special guests with Dhaka City South AL President Abul Hasnat in the chair.
Dhaka City South AL General Secretary Shahe Alam Murad addressed the meeting as the chief speaker.
The AL general secretary said about 75 political parties, including Jatiya Party, BNP, Jatiya Oikyafront, Jukto Front, central 14-party alliance and left alliance, took part in the pre-election dialogues. Now, these political parties will be invited through sending letters, he added.
“There is no issue for holding a dialogue on the last general elections. There is no controversy and doubt over the elections both at home and abroad,” Quader said.
The developed democratic countries have extended their greetings to AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her party’s landslide victory in the polls, he said, adding so demand for holding a dialogue on the last election is simply ludicrous.
AL Organizing Secretary and Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Organizing Secretary BM Mozammel Haque, Deputy Minister for Education, also organizing secretary, Barrister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury (Nowfel) and Science and Technology Affairs Secretary Engineer Md Abdus Sobur were present, among others.- BSS