Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday expressed deep shock and concern as the opposition BNP Chairperson apparently rejected her offer for dinner and dialogue, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister telephoned the opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday evening requesting that she withdraw their proposed three-day hartal. She also proposed that the two leaders meet at Ganobhaban over dinner on Monday for talks over the election-time cabinet.
However, the opposition BNP apparently rejected the Prime Minister’s offer, saying dialogue can be held only after their scheduled hartal programme.
Briefing reporters after the 37-minute telephone conversation between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, the prime minister’s media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said Hasina was expecting the opposition’s response to be positive and that she would call off the three-day shutdown in the interest of the country and the nation.
“The Prime Minister thinks that there’s no need for any hartal programme now,” the PM’s adviser said.