Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia wants the ruling Awami League to give up its ‘stubborness’ in the interest of a compromise and has asked India to ‘respect the aspirations of the majority in Bangladesh’.
In a statement late on Thursday, the Opposition thanked the Western countries, China and Japan and the United Nations for trying their best to break the political deadlock in Bangladesh.
But her reference to India was significant.
“I call upon our influential neighbouring country India and its people to express their solidarity with the feelings and expectation of the majority people of Bangladesh as the rest of the world community has done,” Khaleda said in the statement.
The BNP chief also wanted the ruling party not to be ‘stubborn’ because, as she put it, that was holding up the possibility of a compromise.
Her statement came a day after UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco left Dhaka after getting the ruling and opposition coalitions on the negotiating table.
Fernandez-Taranco’s visit came in the backdrop of the Opposition’s ongoing demonstrations for a non-party government supervision in the Jan 5 general election. Over 50 people have been killed during the agitations since Nov 25.
The UN envoy hoped the talks he had initiated would continue.
Khaleda alleged the Awami League-led government was trying to extend its stay in power in the name of the “controversial” 15th constitutional amendment that scrapped the caretaker government provision.
“People, demonstrating against it, are being mercilessly shot all over the country,” she claimed.
The Opposition chief said the government’s inhuman oppressions and the ‘systematic protests’ against it is causing suffering to the people and the economy is being damaged.
Bangladesh’s apex business body FBCCI on Wednesday criticised the political leadership for not responding to their calls for talks.
It said violence, loss of lives and damage to the economy could have been averted had the governing and Opposition alliances begun talks earlier.
Khaleda criticised the government for remaining ‘indifferent’ to the current turmoil plaguing Bangladesh.
She hoped the government would choose the path of reconciliation.
Earlier on Thursday evening, visiting British Senior Foreign Office Minister Sayeeda Hussain Warsi said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda had both spoken on the need for “compromise” while meeting her.
“They both spoke about wanting to compromise,” she said adding that it would become clear during Friday’s possible meeting.
Hasina and Khaleda, both in their mid-60s, have alternated as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister since democracy was restored in 1991.
The BNP chief in the statement said the people were hopeful of an end to the impasse after the ruling coalition agreed to sit for talks at the intervention of the UN emissary.
“I hope the government will consider the people’s aspirations and will advance on the path of peace and agreement shunning stubbornness,” said the Opposition Leader.
Source: Bd news24