Khaleda Zia says her BNP is eager for talks to end the political crisis surrounding the elections but claims the ruling party in not.
The BNP Chairperson made the claim at a press conference in front of her office in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Tuesday. The media call was held at the end of the fifth spell of the countrywide blockade enforced by the Opposition that her party heads.
While calling for a ‘March (to Dhaka) for Democracy’, she called upon the government to initiate a dialogue to overcome the current crisis.
The 18-Party alliance has boycotted the Jan 5 election as the government is holding it without conceding to its demands for the postponement of elections and holding it under a ‘non-party’ government.
Blaming the Awami League leaders for being unable to reach an agreement, she said, “We have never sought this situation. That is why we have been doing everything possible for talks.”
“We are not only talking about a deal but we are also trying our level best to achieve it.”
Amid the BNP calling for holding the election by dissolving Parliament, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had proposed to the opposition to hold the election within the purview of the Constitution by forming an ‘all-party’ government to oversee it.
The Opposition Leader said, “They are sticking to their position of holding elections while remaining in power and not dissolving Parliament. If we want, their government will only give us some ministries.”
“The nation has seen how much embarrassment a political party has faced by agreeing to such a proposal,” she said alluding to HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party that had joined the multi-party cabinet.
Pointing to UN envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco’s mediation for talks, she said, “(We) have also responded to that though our leaders, detained in false cases, have not been released.”
“Even the schedule of the unilateral elections has not been postponed,” she complained.
“Conducive environment for a fair election has not been created by the government. …It is unfortunate no deal could be struck even after three rounds of talks.”
The Awami League joined the talks only to deceive people while it was actually a ploy to waste time, the BNP chief claimed.
Urging the Prime Minister to give up her ‘obstinacy’ to hold the ‘unilateral’ election, the Opposition Leader said,” Democratic politics is the art of compromise. Nobody is demeaned by compromise.”
In this context, Khaleda also pointed out that a non-party caretaker government was installed, by amending the Constitution, conceding to the Awami League’s demand in 1996, when her party was in power.
“We had compromised by accepting your demand. Now you are in power and so make compromise by accepting people’s demand. Time has not run out yet.”
The former Prime Minister said her party was willing to take part in the talks if those were started by cancelling the election schedule.
Referring to government, she said, “There is no need for holding a farcical election without voters, candidates and contestants. It will not only malign you but will also ruin democracy.”
She read out a written statement at the press conference and did not take any questions.
Two banners written in English were put up on either side of Khaleda at the news conference.
Following slogans were written on the banners: ‘Hi autocrat! You are killing our beloved people’ and ‘Resist autocracy: hard-earned democracy in Bangladesh is dead now’.
Source: Bd news24
