Quader’s ‘dialogue’ offer turns into ‘exchange of greetings’

On Sunday, he said the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, would invite the opposition political parties to a dialogue at Ganabhaban the way she held talks with them before the 11th parliamentary elections.

As the night followed the day, the ruling Awami League’s general secretary Obaidul Quader told the media on Monday that Sheikh Hasina, also president of the AL, would invite the political parties to an exchange of greetings.

Quader on Sunday referred to the parties — as many as 75 — including the opposition coalition of Jatiya Oikya Front that had talks with the prime minister before the general elections in a bid to find common grounds for holding credible elections.

Oikya Front leader Kamal Hossain welcomed the prime minister’s gesture, despite the allegedly tainted elections and the opposition’s reservation about the outcome.

However, Front spokesperson and secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the opposition might join the talks reportedly initiated by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, if the demand for cancellation of the election results is made the agenda.

The opposition has earlier rejected the results of the 30 December polls won by the AL amid allegations of massive rigging.

BSS reports: The Awami League (AL) general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader said on Sunday that the political parties will be invited for exchanging greetings with prime minister Sheikh Hasina but not for holding any dialogue.

“The political parties will not be invited for holding dialogue. But prime minister Sheikh Hasina wants to invite the political parties to greet them following the national election as she invited the parties for dialogue before the polls,” he said.

Quader came up with the statement at an extended meeting of Dhaka City South unit of AL at the party office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city aiming at making success the ‘victory rally’ on 19 January at Suhrawardy Udyan marking the landslide victory of AL in the 30 December parliamentary elections.

AL joint general secretary and education minister Dipu Moni, joint general secretary Abdur Rahman and Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokan addressed the meeting with Dhaka City South AL president Abul Hasnat in the chair. Dhaka City South AL general secretary Shahe Alam Murad addressed the meeting as the chief speaker.

The AL general secretary said about 75 political parties, including Jatiya Party, BNP, Jatiya Oikya Front, Jukto Front, central 14-party alliance and left alliance, took part in the pre-election dialogue. Now these political parties will be invited through sending letters, he added.

“There is no issue for holding a dialogue on the last general elections. There is no controversy and doubt over the elections both at home and abroad,” Quader said.

The developed democratic countries have extended their greetings to AL president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina on her party’s landslide victory in the polls, he said, adding so demand for holding dialogue on the last election is simply ludicrous.

AL organizing secretary and shipping minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, organizing secretary BM Mozammel Haque, deputy minister for education, also organising secretary, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury (Nowfel) and science and technology affairs secretary Md Abdus Sobur were present, among others.