Kerry urges Hasina, Khaleda to hold talks to end impasse

By Mizan Rahman /Dhaka

Expressing concern over the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh, US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia to engage in an immediate and constructive dialogue.

Kerry made the call in separate letters to the prime minister and the opposition leader on Sunday.

His letters come barely two weeks after the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, urged the two leaders to find a way out of the impasse over the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Kelly McCarthy, press and information officer of the US embassy, told newsmen that in the letters sent to the two leaders, the secretary of state encouraged them to engage in “constructive dialogue” to find a way forward towards free, fair and credible elections”.

US Ambassador Dan Mozena delivered both the letters, sources in the US embassy said.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, a former foreign secretary, said in Dhaka yesterday that the US secretary of state, in his letter, mentioned “Reaching a compromise is very urgent to hold acceptable elections with the participation of all, through a constructive dialogue without buying more time.”

Earlier on August 23, amid the deepening political crisis in the country over the nature of a poll-time administration, Ban Ki-moon phoned Sheikh Hasina and her arch rival Khaleda Zia and urged them to hold talks for coming to a consensus for holding free and fair polls.

The UN secretary general told both the leaders that the global community wants to see free and fair elections in Bangladesh with the participation of all parties.

The BNP has been on an agitation since the government scrapped the non-party caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the Constitution, demanding its restoration.

As per the current Constitution, the next general election must be held within October 28 to January 24 under the incumbent regime, and the ruling party is firm on its stance to hold the election as per the charter.

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia on Sunday issued a fresh threat to enforce a non-stop general strike and rail-road blockade if the government of Hasina does not concede to the 18-party’s demand for holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

Addressing a public rally in Narsingdi district town, she also said if the government wants to sit for talks over the restoration of a caretaker government, they will definitely respond to it.

US Ambassador Mozena had also been to the prime minister’s office, but the ruling Awami League is yet to confirm receipt of the letters.

Hasina told the UN chief during an August-23 phone call that she plans to hold the polls in keeping with the Constitution, under government supervision. But she hinted the opposition would be welcome to offer a proposal for discussion in Parliament.

Khaleda Zia has said she was ready for a dialogue to overcome the crisis, but made it clear the opposition would not go to polls if it were supervised by the Awami League-led government.

US Ambassador Mozena described the UN secretary general’s phone calls as “a positive development”.

The US and European countries have been calling for dialogue between the two parties for a while to break the impasse.

Even Chinese envoy Li Jun joined them in a rare move last month saying he was trying to encourage face-to-face talks between the two rival parties as he believed stability was needed for a developing country like Bangladesh.

Earlier the UN secretary general sent his envoy to Dhaka in May with a message for meaningful and constructive dialogue to break the impasse.

Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, UN assistant secretary general for Political Affairs, after meeting with all interlocutors in Dhaka, said: “Quicker the dialogue starts, the easier it’ll be to find a solution”.

BNP agrees to present a framework soon

By Our correspondent/Dhaka

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) yesterday announced that it would come up soon with a framework for a poll-time interim government.

“We’ll soon present a framework of an election-time interim government before the nation,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The BNP spokesman made the disclosure at a seminar at Parliament Members’ Club in Dhaka.

The BNP parliamentary caucus and Asia Foundation jointly arranged the seminar on interim government, corruption and law and order situation.

Opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin Farroque presided over the seminar and presented the keynote paper.

Meanwhile, BNP said it wants an understanding with the government through a dialogue to overcome the ongoing political crisis.

“We want to reach a compromise through talks. The dialogue can be held if the government accepts that the election will be held under a non-party administration,” said Alamgir.

He was talking to reporters after placing wreaths at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman along with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, the women wing of the main opposition party, marking its 35th founding anniversary.

Fakhrul alleged that the government is trying to instigate the opposition by making unguarded remarks to destroy the atmosphere for fair polls.

“The government wants to hold the election under a partisan government defying the country’s 99% people’s opinion in favour of arranging it under a non-party administration. The election has become uncertain due to their obstinacy,” he said.

Protesting the prime minister’s remarks that the opposition is trying to create chaos in the country, Fakhrul said: “It’s not true. We’re very cautiously avoiding such programmes that may lead to the country towards chaos.”

Expressing the hope that the government would take initiatives to resolve the crisis, the BNP leader said still there’s time. “We hope good sense will prevail upon them.”