PM invites Khaleda to Ganabhaban for talks

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and invited her to Ganabhaban for dialogue on Monday.

Hasina requested Khaleda to join her for a dinner in the evening.

According to a PMO source, in response to the prime minister's call, the opposition chief replied: "It's hartal on Monday, so it's not possible to attend Ganabhaban for dialogue."

Hasina replied: "Withdraw the hartal and hold the dialogue."

The prime minister told Khaleda: "You can bring whoever you want at the dialogue."

Earlier at 18-party rally on Friday, Khaleda issued an ultimatum for the government to face a 60-hour countrywide hartal starting at 6am Sunday, October 27, if the government did not initiate talks regarding polls-time government by Saturday.

After a meeting with the 14-party alliance partners on Wednesday, Sheikh Hasina had decided to call opposition leader Khaleda Zia to invite her to talks about a polls-time government's structure.

Earlier, the main opposition BNP sent a formal letter to Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Tuesday to initiate talks.