Awami League Generel Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has reportedly met each other in city’s Banani area on Saturday night.
Sources close to Syed Ashraful and Mirza Fakhrul confirmed the news to the Dhaka Tribune.
However, Mirza Fakhrul Fakhrul denied the news of holding meeting with Syed Ashraful.
He told journalists: “The news of holding meeting with Syed Ashraful is totally baseless.”
Insiders from both the parties claimed that the secretaries of the two major political parties sat to discuss about the political deadlock at BNP lawmaker Ashrafuddin Nizan’s Banani residence around 9:45pm.
Detail of the 45-minute long meeting was not disclosed immediately.
Earlier on November 2, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed claimed that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has agreed to hold “unconditional” secretary general level talks with the ruling Awami League over the polls-time government issue.
“This message will be conveyed to the prime minister in a day or two so that a dialogue can kick off,” Akram told reporters after a closed door meeting with opposition chief Khaleda Zia.
On November 19, as a follow up to the meeting with BNP Chief Khaleda Zia, President Abdul Hamid asked Syed Ashraful Islam to engage in talks with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir over the mode of polls-time administration.
The president talked to Syed Ashraful Islam after his conversation with Khaleda Zia.
Abdul Hamid made the “personal request” to make the elections “more acceptable,” said an Awami League leader.
The president told Ashraf that the ruling Awami League and BNP should engage in parley at a negotiating table to narrow down their differences over the restoration of the non-party caretaker government that would oversee the next polls. - See more at:
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for a secretary-level dialogue between Awami League and BNP.
Chief Whip Abdus Shahid told the Dhaka Tribune: “The premier told Fakhrul ‘come and join polls. We will hold a free, fair and credible elections.’”
The invitation was issued at a programme marking the armed forces’ day in Senakunja on Thursday.