The Awami League will not sit with the BNP for any dialogue until violence comes to an end, the ruling party told a visiting European Parliament (EP) delegation.
The party also urged the team of the EP’s subcommittee on human rights to keep the issue of dialogue aside from the ongoing violence.
The premier’s foreign affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi reiterated the ruling party’s position on dialogue while briefing newsmen after a meeting with the EP delegation at the AL president’s Dhanmondi office on Thursday.
However, the EP team, led by subcommittee vice chairman Cristian Dan Preda, refrained from making any comment immediately after the meeting.
The AL told the EP delegation that talks on to how strengthen the Election Commission could be arranged just before the polls time arrives, Gowher Rizvi informed reporters.
“But that kind of discussion has to be held as per democratic norms and in line with constitution,” he said, tacitly rejecting the BNP’s demand for mid-term polls under a non-party administration.
The AL side emphatically said to the delegation that at the moment “nothing else matters more than stopping the ongoing violence”.
AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, joint secretary Dipu Moni, international affairs secretary Faruk Khan, office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, and the prime minister’s political advisor HT Imam and economic affairs advisor Masihur Rahman were present.
The three-member EP delegation include Karol Karski (Poland) and Josef Weidenholzer (Austria).
The team which began its mission on Tuesday, also had a meeting with the BNP chief Khaleda Zia the same day (Tuesday).
The BNP handed over to the team a list of the victims of extra-judicial killings, especially the ones who had affiliation with the BNP and its allied parties.
Source: Prothom Alo
