Ban regrets failure to reach deal for inclusive Jan 5 polls

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has emphasised the importance of engaging the ‘extra-parliamentary’ opposition and encouraged progress in social and political reconciliation in Bangladesh. He came up with the observation during his meeting with President Abdul Hamid held at the UN headquarters on Thursday. The Secretary General expressed his regret at the failure of political parties to reach an agreement that would have allowed for inclusive elections in January this year, said a media release issued by UNDP in Dhaka on Saturday, according to a news agency.