The main opposition BNP blames the ruling Awami League for not responding positively to the United Nations initiative to resolve the existing political crisis in the country which, it says, made the effort gone in vain.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his conversation had proposed a dialogue between the two parties at the UN, party Chairperson Khaleda Zia had given consent to such arrangement.
“But on September 10, UN Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco phoned our Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and informed him that the Awami League had not responded to the call,” Fakhrul told journalists at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters.
He also claimed that Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN AK Abdul Momen’s statement that the BNP had not been invited by the UN was not true.
“He is spreading confusion. Mr Momen did not present the issue properly before the nation,” Fakhrul said.
He urged the government to come forward to resolve the crisis: “We still believe that good sense will prevail and the government will bring a bill on polls-time interim government in the current session of parliament.”
The BNP leader warned that the government would have to take responsibility for any untoward situation in case it did not meet the demand.
Regarding the prime minister’s UN visit, Fakhrul said: “The prime minister has gone to the United Nations with a large entourage. She will hold a meeting with the UN secretary-general. We hope that the prime minister will take initiatives and also be cordial to resolve the prevailing crisis.”
Fakhrul said the people of the country expected that the government would take initiatives to hold an inclusive election under a non-partisan interim government.
Asked if the BNP would place any bill on the interim government in parliament, he said: “We do not see any rationality of doing so. We have repeatedly urged the government to hold a dialogue but it has not paid any heed.”