BNP, Jamaat demand lifting of emergency in talks with govt

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Both BNP and Jamaat placed their respective demands including lifting the state of emergency for creating a congenial atmosphere for the national elections in their separate dialogues with the government Tuesday, report UNB/bdnews24.com.
BNP tabled their seven-point demand including lifting of emergency in their three-hour dialogue with the government.
"We think implementation of those will help create an electoral atmosphere. It is not possible to hold elections amid the state of emergency," BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain told reporters after the dialogue.
Both government and party representaives said in a joint news briefing that the two sides could not reach a consensus yet.
"We will hold more talks," adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said.
The long-awaited dialogue between the government and the BNP began at around 11.15am and ended at 2.10pm at the Chief Adviser's Office.
Delwar led a 13-member BNP delegation in the dialogue while the government side, led by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhrudddin Ahmed comprised five fellow advisers- Ghulam Quader, AFM Hassan Ariff, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Anwarul Iqbal and Hossain Zillur Rahman.
The meeting was brought forward by a day. It had been originally scheduled for Oct 15. On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh placed their 10-point demand, including lifting of state of emergency, during the dialogue with the government as adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman indicated more discussions on logical demands.
Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid led an 11-member delegation to the dialogue with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at the CA's office in the afternoon.
Jamaat called for full lifting of the state of emergency to ensure participation of all parties in the parliamentary elections set for December 18.
Other demands include withdrawal of all politically-motivated cases filed against political leaders, including GATCO, Niko and Barapukuria coalmine corruption cases, holding elections under the original Representation of People Order (RPO), deferring dates of Upazila Parishad elections by one month, holding elections as per the previously-delimitated 300 constituencies, release of all political leaders detained without trial, restoring public holiday on the 7th November and observance of President Ziaur Rahman's assassination day on May 30.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of the dialogue that lasted more than two hours from 3pm, Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur informed fruitful discussions were held on logical issues as both sides want to push forward the ongoing election process.
He said both sides need to be reasonable on logical demands and all would have to make contributions to a successful election. The government will keep its doors open for any future discussions on specific logical matters.
On the critical issue of lifting the state of emergency, Hossain Zillur admitted the fact that emergency rules were great obstacles to political activities. But the government side raised the background of promulgation of the state of emergency, he said, adding that in the past, the emergency was relaxed on different occasions.