The Awami League and BNP are apparently contemplating whether they can find a permanent solution to the ongoing political crisis over the polls-time administration to avoid recurrence of the problem each election year.
Both the parties are engaged in dialogue to resolve the political stalemate but a number of leaders said they were looking forward to a permanent solution as there is “little chance” of suspending the elections scheduled to be held on January 5, 2014.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi yesterday told this correspondent over phone: “We are trying to find out an enduring solution to the polls-time arrangement.”
“There is no hope of positive outcome. But we will carry on in a view to deriving something that could be long-lasting,” Osman Farruk, adviser to the BNP chairperson, said.
Farruk, also a former education minister, said the dialogue’s objective went in vain as the government is hell-bent on holding the polls. “But we will try to continue with the dialogue as we are optimistic.”
Under the mediation of the United Nations both the parties held their third round of talks. After the meeting representatives of both the parties said they had offered some proposals and will talk again.
Against the backdrop, party insiders from both the sides told the Dhaka Tribune that there is no hope of any solution as 154 candidates have already been elected uncontested.
Communications Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said there is a slim chance of the BNP’s participation in the 10th general elections. However, the two parties will continue to hold dialogue.
“The time is running out. The result will certainly come through talks but nothing can be said for sure right now,” he said.
On Saturday, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif said the ongoing talks would continue.
After the quasi-military rule, in every election year the country has witnessed huge bloodshed centring polls except for the eighth general polls in 2001.
In 2007 the army-backed caretaker government assumed the office against the backdrop of a wave of political violence and a number of the politicians including Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were sent to jail.
Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said: “We decided in principle to continue with the dialogue. When asked that the election is already halfway through, he said the party secretary general wiill talk about it later.