Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government would like to begin its dialogue without any preconditions imposed and urged the opposition BNP and Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam to suspend their programmes.
Hasina, also the Awami League president, said she had no objection to an interim government comprising representatives from all political parties during the next general elections.
Speaking at a press conference at her official residence, Ganabhaban, the premier reiterated that there was no scope to restore the caretaker government provision. Hasina also said that the government would provide the opposition with a formal proposal on holding the talks at a convenient time.
On the BNP’s setting “preconditions” for dialogue, Hasina said, “We want a continuation of democratic processes. We do not want any unelected government. Any problem can be resolved through talks. But the BNP has given preconditions for dialogue. It is not fair.”
She also added that if the BNP was determined to pursue a caretaker government, then there was no need for talks. In her address, she called upon the BNP and Hefazat to postpone their grand rally and Dhaka-siege programmes scheduled for today and tomorrow citing the ongoing rescue operation in the Savar building collapse incident.
The prime minister also urged them to donate the money to be spent in the programmes, for the victims of the Savar tragedy. “I will not request them to never hold their programmes. I am just urging them to postpone the programmes,” she added.
The premier also described the phases of the rescue operation step by step. She said the rescue operation started soon after the building collapsed on the morning of April 24. “The rescue operation will be an example for the future,” she claimed.
AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and the party’s General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam were also present on the dais.
About the proposals of dialogue, Hasina categorically said the government had given the proposal for talks so that the opposition would put an end to their destructive politics.
She, however, wished for an interim government comprising representatives from all political parties for the next polls. “If the interim government is formed with the participation of all political parties, we have no objection. But we do not want to go back to the situation of 2007,” explained the premier.
"I am not rigid about any issue. At the talks we will discuss every issue and take a decision for the sake of the continuation of the democratic process in the country,” Hasina said.
Pointing at her political arch-rival, BNP chief Khaleda Zia, the prime minister said, “If she [Khaleda] thinks that something will happen and someone will ensure her of assuming office then she would be mistaken.”
She hoped that the opposition would come to negotiate the issues and shun all destructive politics to save the lives of innocent people.
Referring to Hefazat’s 13-point demands, the AL president said none has the right to spread canards about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (sm). Action would be taken against those responsible according to the recommendations of the probe committee dealing with this issue.
She said four bloggers were arrested on charges of defaming the Prophet and a high-power committee was working to identify others.
The prime minister also denied Hefazat’s allegation of indiscriminate killings of innocent alems, olamas and madrasa students. She affirmed that no such incident had occurred in the country. Hasina, however, said the government would give the highest consideration for their release.
She said the law enforcing agencies took action against some leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and its students’ wing Islami Chhatra Shibir on charges of war crimes and subversive activities.
Terming Islam a holy religion, Hasina said the government kept vigil so that none could harm the sanctity of the religion by unleashing terrorist and militant activities “in the name of Islam.” “The government is committed to resist any type of militant and terrorist activities with iron hands,” she said.
