Rejecting the prime minister’s proposal for submitting names for an all-party polls-time government, the main opposition BNP on Monday once again alleged that the government was moving towards holding a unilateral election.
“The BNP will not participate in the all-party polls-time government. We will not even participate in an election held under the government’s arrangement,” acting secretary general Mirza Fahkrul Islam Alamgir said.
The BNP spokesperson alleged that the government was pushing the country towards an uncertainty just because of its “egoism.”
Fakhrul claimed that two BNP activists had been killed and around 1,800 injured during the first day of 60-hour hartal.
He was speaking at a press briefing held at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters to inform the media of the hartal scenario.
Talking to reporters earlier in the morning, Fakhrul had accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of “closing the door of compromise,” and said the BNP was ready for holding a dialogue “unconditionally” if the government fixed a specific time for the talks on non-partisan interim government.
“The leader of the opposition has agreed with the business leaders’ proposal for secretary-level talks, but the prime minister’s speech at Suhrawardy Udyan has closed the path of any compromise,” he said.
Leaders of the country’s apex business body - the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry - had held a meeting with the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday to convince her of the need for compromise.
Accusing the government of not being cordial enough about the dialogue and trying to create confusion among the people in the name of dialogue, Fakhrul said they did not want to set any condition for the dialogue.
“If the government takes initiatives for a dialogue on a non-partisan interim government, we are ready to sit in the dialogue right now,” he said.
Responding to a query, Fakhrul said: “We do not want to hold a dialogue on an all-party polls-time government.”
Asked about Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s comment that the dialogue would take place only after the BNP withdrew the hartal, Fakhrul said: “A dialogue cannot be held on any condition. I sent him a letter to take initiatives to resolve the crisis but we are yet to get any response.”
BNP to hold rally
The BNP on Monday announced a rally at the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan for November 7 to mark the “Revolution and Solidarity Day.” The announcement was made in a press release signed by the party’s Joint Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday morning.
The national flag and party flag would be at the half-mast at all BNP offices, the press release said. Khaleda Zia will place a wreath at the grave of party founder Ziaur Rahman at 10pm on the day.
On November 7, 1975, Ziaur Rahman came out of house arrest and took over as the new military chief and the first military ruler of Bangladesh after a period of political turmoil following the August 15 assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
