‘Diplomats want acceptable solution to political stalemate, fair polls’
As part of their efforts to make their caretaker case clear before them, a BNP delegation on Monday had a meeting with foreign diplomats working in Bangladesh.
The nearly one-and-a-half-hour meeting that began around 3:15pm held at Heritage Hotel in the city’s Gulshan area.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, vice chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, chairperson’s adviser Osman Farroque, Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.
The envoys attended the meeting from the countries include the EU, the UK, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Spain, France, Australia, Germany, Sri Lank, Nepal and Pakistan.
BNP sources said the party delegation categorically told the foreign diplomats that the opposition will not go to the election if it is held under a party government.
They, however, said BNP is ready to sit in talks with the government to break the political stalemate over the election.
BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul outlined the party’s stance before the diplomats at the meeting.
He also outlined the reasons for arranging the polls under a non-party government through a power-point presentation.
Contacted, Shamsher Mobin told UNB that they discussed a wide range of issues, relating to the next general election, including polls-time government, the Election Commission and dialogue.
The diplomats told the delegation that they want to see an acceptable solution to the political stalemate as well as a free and fair election in Bangladesh, he said.
Mobin said the foreign diplomats think a constructive dialogue is necessary between the two major parties.
“We’ve said BNP is ready for talks. We’d earlier said to resolve the crisis through dialogue, but the government did not pay heed to it,” the BNP vice chairman added.
Meeting sources said Fakhrul told the envoys that the reasons for what the caretaker system had been introduced in 1996 are still similarly persisting.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s outline for the election under her administration without dissolving parliament, Fakhrul said her plan is completely unacceptable.
He also said a level-playing field will not be created if the lection is held under a partisan government.
Source: UNB Connect
