UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco met the leaders of the BNP that leads the Opposition on Sunday. The visiting UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs is trying to broker peace between Bangladesh’s two major political parties and end the impasse.Fernandez-Taranco went to BNP Vice-Chariman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury’s Banani residence around 7:15pm. He held a nearly one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting with Chowdhury and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s advisor Sabih Uddin Ahmed there.
After the meeting, former Foreign Secretary Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that “many issues” were discussed.
“But [we] cannot say anything at this moment since discussions are on going and there will be more.”
The UN envoy met the BNP leaders after his meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran.
After arriving in Dhaka on Friday, Fernandez-Taranco met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda on Saturday. Before them, he also held a meeting with the senior leaders of ruling Awami League.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam had also said it was a ‘preliminary meeting and more discussion will take place’.
The UN Assistant Secretary General on Sunday also held meetings with Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad and a delegation of civil society led by Dr Kamal Hossain.
During their meeting with him, the civil society representatives had emphasised deferring the election so that all political parties could join it.
Earlier in the day, Fernandez-Taranco saw Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.
The Awami League has already announced that the Jan 5 general elections will be held under the recently constituted Hasina-led ‘all-party’ interim cabinet.
But the BNP refused to join the ‘all-party’ government. It also rejected the polls schedule and is enforcing one violent nationwide blockade after another.
Fernandez-Taranco came at a time to encourage dialogue and help create an environment conducive for all parties to join the elections when more than 50 people were killed in violence during the Opposition’s blockades.
Amid this impasse, his visit has been seen crucial in finding a solution to the current impasse. – bdnews24.com
