Condemning cycle of violence and hartal, visiting US official Robert O Blake on Tuesday called upon both Awami League and BNP to resume their dialogue to figure out a mechanism for holding the next general election.
“We strongly support resumption of dialogue. We strongly support BNP to return to the parliament and participate in passing the law that needs to be passed in your legislators,” Black, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, said.
Black was talking to reporters at his pre-departure press conference at hotel Westin in the capital in the morning.
“Whatever, they (BNP and Awami League) agree upon will be acceptable to the international community,” he said.
Blake arrived in Dhaka on December 8 on a four-day visit to attend the South Asia Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium.
He also held talks on current political situation with top government and opposition and civil society leaders.
The US State Department officials opposed the hartals for two reasons, he mentioned.
First of all, it has a very harmful effect on the poor people who rely on daily wages to sustain them and their families and secondly, it has a deeper impact on Bangladesh’s reputation and its efforts to attract new investment, Black said.
Source: The Daily Star
