Dialogue with BNP only after govt\\\'s tenure ends

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FE Team | Published: June 21, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

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The government is open to a dialogue with the opposition BNP but it will take place only after the present government's tenure ends, President Md Abdul Hamid has told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, report agencies.
Bangladesh's political situation topped a 50-minute discussion starting 4pm local time on Thursday between Hamid and Ban at the UN headquarters, Bangladesh's permanent envoy to the UN AKA Momen said.
Clarifying the government's position, the President said solving problems through  dialogue was necessary to strengthen democratic practices.
"But how can there be a dialogue if anyone boycotts the elections?" Momen quoted Hamid as saying.
He said the UN secretary general agreed with the President.
Ban said boycotting an election was "unacceptable" in a democracy, as it is the only way to change governments.
Hamid told Ban that an all-inclusive election would be held at the end of the current government's tenure. It would hold talks with any person or party on polls.
The UN secretary general had pushed for a dialogue before the Jan 5 elections between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, president of the ruling Awami League, and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia but in vain.
The BNP and its allies boycotted the polls, resulting in a landslide for the Awami League and its partners, ensuring them a second successive term in office.
Since then, the BNP has been pressing for early elections supervised by a non-party caretaker government.
The President also told the UN Secretary General that the situation in
Bangladesh is very stable now, especially after the January-5 polls.
"People have accepted the election results and they are looking forward to a better future," Hamid told Ban, according to a message received in Dhaka.
 "A sense of relief prevails in public mind and they are least interested to have chaos and instability in the country," the President said.
During the meeting, Hamid and Ban discussed various issues related to Bangladesh and the UN.
Hamid said Bangladesh expects a better representation to 'command position' in UN peacekeeping missions as it is the highest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping activities.
"In line with our contributions and commitment to peacekeeping operations, we expect that Bangladesh to be better represented to command position at the field and senior staff level-- both at civilian and uniform positions of the headquarters," he added.
The President said Dhaka greatly values UN Secretary General's continuous attention to development in Bangladesh.
Ban Ki-moon appreciated the progress of Bangladesh in its different sectors, especially in the fields of poverty reduction, reproductive healthcare system and disaster management.