Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) on Thursday night urged BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to send a proposal to the government for engaging in a dialogue aiming to hold a free, fair and inclusive fresh national election.
“We’ve told the BNP chairperson that there is no alternative to holding dialogue in the current context of the country. We’ve requested her to send a proposal to the government to engage in talks. She has agreed to do so,” BDB secretary general Major (retd) Abdul Mannan told reporters after a meeting with the BNP chief.
After nearly 12 years, Khaleda Zia formally sat with BDB president Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury at her Gulshan political office.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and BDB secretary general Major (retd) Abdul Mannan and BDB joint secretary general Mahi B Chowdhury were present at the meeting that began around 9:08pm.
After the meeting that lasted for one and a half hours, Mannan said the opposition parties need to hold dialogue with the government for holding a free, fair and credible election with the participation of all.
“This government is illegal as it assumed office through a voter-less election. They deprived most voters of exercising their voting rights. An inclusive election is very crucial so that every one can exercise their franchise,” he added.
Asked whether their party will join the BNP-led 19-party alliance, Mannan said, “There’s no possibility to join the alliance right now. But, we’ll wage a united movement in the interest of the country and democracy.”
Talking to the journalists, Fakhrul said they at the meeting discussed the country’s ongoing political stalemate. “We’ve agreed to forge a democratic national unity to restore democracy in the country.”
He said the government is governing the country illegally grabbing the state power. “So, We’ve decided to work together to create a national unity for holding an immediate fresh national election dislodging the current illegal regime.”
Asked what Khaleda said in response to the BDB’s call for talks with the government, Fakhrul said, “We’ve long been speaking about dialogue. Our chairperson at her Rajbari rally also invited the government to sit in talks. We want a fresh election immediately.”
Mahi B Chowdhury said they like many other parties boycotted January 5 conspiratorial and voter-less polls. “So, we want an immediate fresh election through a national dialogue.”
This was the first meeting between Khaleda and B Chowdhury since he quit the presidency on June 2002, amid a row with the then ruling BNP leadership for what they said his unquestionable role.
After assuming office following a landslide victory in the eight parliamentary polls, BNP had made B Chowdhury, the party’s founding secretary-general, the country’s 16th President.
A close associate of BNP’s founder late president Ziaur Rahman, B Chowdhury floated Bikolpodhara Bangladesh with some mid-ranking BNP leaders in 2004, quitting BNP.
Khaleda, also the former Prime Minister, met the BDB chief in Iftar parties during Ramadan, also last year, but they did not have any formal meeting earlier.
She visited B Chowdhury on February 18 at his Baridhara residence as the BDB chief was ill.
