The main opposition BNP said the government’s sincerity will be questioned if it does not take the initiative for a dialogue to end the political deadlock.
“Why should we make a telephone call? The government has to take the initiative,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party’s acting secretary general, said on Monday.
A section of the media reported that BNP chief Khaleda Zia was willing to have a dialogue with Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and if necessary, she (Khaleda) will make a phone call.
Awami League presidium member Mohammad Nasim on Monday commented that it was now BNP’s turn to initiate a dialogue.
Responding to the comment, Mirza Fakhrul said, “I have already sent letter to the Awami League general secretary to initiate dialogue over polls-time interim government. If the government does not take initiative it will be clear that they do not have good intention.”
The spokesperson of the party came up with the remarks at a press briefing on the second day hartal situation at party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital.
Fakhrul urged the government to take effective initiative for dialogue immediately to resolve the prevailing political crisis.
“We have said earlier that when the prime minister invited the opposition leader then there was no scope to accept it. So if we get invitation at any time after tomorrow’s hartal programme, we will respond,” he said.
When asked about if the opposition leader will return a call to the prime minister for dialogue, Fakhrul said, “Why opposition leader will make a call? Crisis will not be resolved only by a phone call. Rather it needs effective initiatives and dialogue atmosphere, which will not be created by arresting the opposition men.”
The BNP leader said the prime minister, after calling the leader of the opposition over phone, started dialogue with different political parties to discuss her formula of all-party polls-time government.
“But our demand is an election under a non-partisan government. We want dialogue or talks simply on this issue,” he said.
Fakhrul alleged that three were killed and 2,500 injured across the country in attacks by police and Awami League cadres attack between Sunday and Monday.
Police arrested more than 700 opposition men and filed cases against more than 17000 leaders and activists and the mobile court sent 12 opposition men to jail, he said.