UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday to discuss the upcoming national elections and the overall state of affairs in Bangladesh.
Hasina’s media advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury told bdnews24.com the telephone call came around 11am and “They discussed for some thirty minutes.”
“The UN Secretary General asked the Prime Minister about current situation in Bangladesh. Hasina informed him about several efforts of her government,” he said.
Chowdhury said, “Her government believes in transition of power through a free and credible election.”
The Prime Minister also assured Ban Ki-moon about her Government’s commitment to take necessary steps to ensure such an election, he said.
The main opposition party in Parliament BNP and its allies have hit the streets demanding restoration of the caretaker government provision since it was annulled in June 2011 through the 15th Constitutional Amendment.
As per the Constitution, the balloting, which is at best five months away, will be held under the ruling Awami league government.
Hasina in numerous occasions in the past had called BNP Chairperson for talks.
But speaking at press conference on Sunday, Hasina ruled out any possibility for a ‘compromise’ on the issue.
Responding to that, Khaleda reiterated the very next day that her party would never accept any election under Hasina’s government.
As the two major parties of Bangladesh are at loggerheads over the next poll-time administration, several quarters and countries like the United Kingdom, United States and European Union and political analysts have been pushing them for a ‘compromise’ and discussions to end the deadlock.
Chowhdury said the Prime Minister told Ban Ki-moon about Bangladesh’s past experience of transition of power through unconstitutional means and a spate of political violence.
Moon conveyed his condolences to Hasina over the killing of the members of her family in Aug 15, 1975, and the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on Aug 21, 2004, that Hasina miraculously survived.
The UN Secretary-General also praised her government for the achieving the Millennium Development Goal and hastening the country’s economic growth, he said.
“Ban Ki-moon told the Prime Minister that her steps to wipe out terrorism had earned international acclaim,” he said.
Source: Bd news24