The government would provide necessary protocol and protection to Khaleda Zia despite the fact that she was set to lose the post of the opposition leader
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said yesterday the government would initiate talks with BNP, which had boycotted the 10th parliamentary polls.
He also said the government would provide necessary protocol and protection to Khaleda Zia despite the fact that she was set to lose the post of the opposition leader very soon.
“The door of negotiation is always open. It is the government that will take the initiative of talks (with the BNP),” Syed Ashraf told the Dhaka Tribune at the parliament building after taking oath as an MP and a meeting of the Awami League parliamentary party meeting.
In an interview with BBC Bangla service, Khaleda Zia hinted that she was interested in having talks with Awami League to hold an inclusive election as soon as possible.
The Awami League general secretary and his BNP counterpart Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, under the mediation of the UN secretary-general’s envoy Oscar Fernandez Taranco, had agreed to continue the dialogue for an amicable solution to the political stalemate over the restoration of the non-party caretaker government in the constitution.
Top ranking leaders of BNP and Awami League met at least three times to hold an inclusive election, but could not reach an outcome.
BNP at first demanded scraping the 10th general elections. HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party emerged as the largest opposition group as BNP and its allies boycotted the polls that took place under the interim government headed by Sheikh Hasina.
“After the publication of gazette confirming Rawshan Ershad as the opposition leader, she will no longer hold the position,” said Ashraful Islam.
“But as the former leader of the opposition, three-time prime minister and the chief of a party, the government will provide her with the proper protocol and protection,” he said.
Jatiya Party, which got 33 seats in the January 5 polls, had a meeting yesterday confirming Rawshan Ershad as the opposition leader.
Parliament secretariat sources said they would publish the gazette as soon as the authorities instruct.
Source: Dhaka Tribune