Leader of the Opposition in parliament, Rawshan Ershad yesterday told visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal that the next election would be held in due course.
Rawshan’s comment came as Biswal asked her when and how the next election would be held.
After her meeting with Rawshan, Biswal met BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Biswal told Khaleda that her country wants to see a strong democracy in the south to maintain socio-economic progress in the region.
Earlier in the morning, visiting US official Biswal visited Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Gazipur where she praised the Bangladesh Army for its role in the peacekeeping.
Biswal arrived in Dhaka on Thursday on a three-day visit. She is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with the prime minister, government officials, business community leaders, opposition parties and labour leaders.
In November 2013, she visited Bangladesh and stressed dialogues between the political parties to resolve the political deadlock to hold an inclusive, free, fair and acceptable election.
Nisha-Khaleda meeting
Visiting US official Biswal told BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia that a strong democracy is necessary in the region so that the economic cooperation and democracy can go together side by side.
“She reiterated what she said at the Saarc summit that the democratic process has to be consolidated further in the South Asia to maintain socio-economic assistance and advancement in the region,” Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, vice-chairman of the party, told journalists after the meeting.
When asked whether Biswal said anything about the democratic process in Bangladesh, he did not say anything.
Meeting sources said the BNP leaders talked about January 5 election, killing, abduction and government repression on the opposition leaders and activists including government’s misdeeds and misrules.
They also briefed Biswal on why they boycotted the January 5 election but Biswal refrained from making any comment on the issue.
A senior leader seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune: “The meeting was held for more than one hour. So you understand, if the meeting was not successful, it would end within 30 minutes.”
He, however, refused to say anything about the meeting agenda and what Biswal told BNP about the next election.
Biswal held one hour and a ten-minute-long meeting with Khaleda at her Gulshan residence.
Out-going US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, advisers to the BNP Chairperson Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.
Biswal-Rawshan meeting
Rawshan Ershad-led JaPa leaders at their meeting with Biswal told her that BNP’s January 5 election boycott was a mistake.
If the BNP had participated in the election the situation would have been different, said Japa leader and Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury quoting what they told Biswal.
Tajul said Biswal asked the leader of the opposition how and when the election would be held.
Tajul said quoting Rawshan: “The next election will be held after talks with all political parties and in due course following a due procedure.”
Biswal did not ask any more questions about the election, Tajul added.
“We described the situation that compelled the JaPa to take part in the election. If we too had boycotted the election, country’s political situation would have headed towards an uncertainty,” Tajul said.
Japa leaders ABM Ruhul Amin Hawladar, Fakhrul Imam, Selim Uddin and Rawshan’s Political Secretary Golam Masih and Dan Mozena were present in the 30-minute-long meeting that started at 5:10pm.
Meeting with civil society members
In the afternoon, Nisha held meeting with civil society members at the residence of US Ambassador Dan Mozena.
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Sujan, Adilur Rahman, secretary of Odhikar, journalist Mahfuzullah and Advocate Elina Khan and some others attended the meeting.
Meeting sources said the civil society members opined that the government which was formed through January 5 elections had failed to get people’s mandate, that’s why a free, fair and neutral election is needed in the country.
“National consensus is necessary among the political parties,” Majumder told reporters after emerging from the meeting.
Nisha’s BIPSOT visit
Visiting the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Gazipur, Biswal said the United States and the international community are profoundly grateful to the people of Bangladesh for their contributions to international peacekeeping efforts.
“Bangladesh is the single largest contributor to international peacekeeping efforts, with over 8,700 individuals deployed around the world. These patriots from Bangladesh’s military and police have contributed greatly to global peace and security,” she said.
The US official also said US assistance to Bangladesh regarding participation of UNI peacekeeping mission and training will be continued.
At the outset Nisha Desai Biswal called on Commandant, BIPSOT Major General Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, PSC. The visiting team exchanged views on various peacekeeping affairs with the commandant of BIPSOT.
