The United Nations is hopeful that the political parties in Bangladesh will be able to reach a consensus to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner with the participation of all.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expressed the hope in a letter to opposition leader Khaleda Zia on Saturday, BNP vice chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury told reporters.
Mobin was talking to the journalists after a meeting between visiting Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the United Nations Oscar Fernández-Taranco and the BNP chief at her Gulshan office in the
evening.
During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting that began around 6:00pm, Taranco conveyed Ban Ki Moon’s letter to Khaleda and discussed its content.
“The UN Secretary General has sent separate letters to the Prime Minister and the opposition leader so that the next election in Bangladesh is held with the consensus of all parties. The UN Assistant Secretary-General carried the letter to the opposition leader today (Saturday),” Mobin said.
Agreeing with the UN Secretary General, the BNP chief said, “She also wants a free, fair and credible election in the country following a consensus of all,” the BNP vice chairman said.
Mobin said the UN is expecting that the political crisis in the country will be resolved through a consensus to hold the next polls in a free and fair manner.
The UN is carrying out its effort so that a credible election could be held in Bangladesh with the consensus of all and they will continue their talks in this regard.
BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, chairperson’s advisers Riaz Rahman, Dr Osman Farroque, Sabihuddin Ahmed, and opposition chief whip Zainaul Abedin Farroque were present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, a six-member BNP delegation, led by Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, met Taranco at his hotel
suite.
The delegation appraised the UN official of the country’s overall situation, government’s repressive acts against the opposition and the
party’s position about the next general election.
Fernández-Taranco arrived here on Friday to hold talks with the government, opposition parties and the Election Commission as tension is growing here over the next national election.
Fernández-Taranco, whose visit is also aimed at fostering dialogue and conducive conditions for the parliamentary elections slated for the year-end, also met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban on Saturday morning.
(Source: UNB)
