Visiting two US Congressmen held a meeting with the leaders of three major political parties -- governing Bangladesh Awami League, its major political rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the opposition in parliament Jatiya Party -- in Dhaka on Sunday.
The meeting was held at the residence of the US ambassador in Dhaka Peter D. Haas in the capital's Gulshan. The one-and-a-half-hour meeting began at 4:00 pm, according to local media and news agencies.
Awami League finance and planning secretary Waseqa Ayesha Khan, MP, Nahim Razzaq, MP, and Tamanna Nusrat Bubly, MP, represented the party in the meeting.
The BNP's delegation consisted of the party's publicity secretary and former lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie.
The JaPa delegation consisted of MPs Sharifa Quader, Rana Mohammad Sohail and Nazma Akther.
US Congressmen Rich McCormick of Georgia and Ed Case of Hawaii and the US ambassador Peter Haas were present at the meeting.
At the meeting, BNP told the visiting US congressmen that holding a free, fair and participatory election would not be possible under the present AL.
"We (BNP) informed them (US congressmen) that the (upcoming national) election would not be free and fair under the present one-party government," BNP publicity secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury told the media after a parley with the two US congressmen.
"So, a caretaker government should be formed to ensure a free, fair and neutral election," he added.
On the other hand, Awami League delegation told the meeting that it is not possible to keep any rule that contradicts the Constitution.
