Stage set for BNP-govt dialogue
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
The stage is all set for the long-awaited "dialogue" between the government and the BNP at 11am today (Tuesday) at the Chief Adviser's Office, reports bdnews24.com.
"Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain will lead the BNP delegation," BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told the news agency Monday.
"We will have discussions with Khaleda Zia in the evening," he said.
Chief Adviser Fakhrudddin Ahmed will lead the government side. Other members of the team are retired major general Ghulam Quader, AFM Hassan Ariff, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Anwarul Iqbal and Hossain Zillur Rahman.
A spokesman for the Chief Adviser announced Sunday that the meeting had been brought forward by a day. It had been originally scheduled for October 15.
The government will sit with Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the BNP in the 4-party alliance, in the evening.
Khan said the discussions would focus on "some existing obstacles to holding a fair election, especially the issue of withdrawal of the state of emergency".
The secretaries general of the four parties had met at the home of Delwar Hussain Sunday night and discussed the dialogue agenda.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Delwar had said the BNP would repeat its demand for withdrawal of the state of emergency, scrapping the amended Representation of the People's order Ordinance, and release of the party leaders in jail and withdrawal of cases against them.
He said the lifting of emergency was necessary for a fair election.
The dialogue between the government and the political parties started on May 22. The government already had meetings with 16 parties including the Awami League.
"Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain will lead the BNP delegation," BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told the news agency Monday.
"We will have discussions with Khaleda Zia in the evening," he said.
Chief Adviser Fakhrudddin Ahmed will lead the government side. Other members of the team are retired major general Ghulam Quader, AFM Hassan Ariff, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Anwarul Iqbal and Hossain Zillur Rahman.
A spokesman for the Chief Adviser announced Sunday that the meeting had been brought forward by a day. It had been originally scheduled for October 15.
The government will sit with Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the BNP in the 4-party alliance, in the evening.
Khan said the discussions would focus on "some existing obstacles to holding a fair election, especially the issue of withdrawal of the state of emergency".
The secretaries general of the four parties had met at the home of Delwar Hussain Sunday night and discussed the dialogue agenda.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Delwar had said the BNP would repeat its demand for withdrawal of the state of emergency, scrapping the amended Representation of the People's order Ordinance, and release of the party leaders in jail and withdrawal of cases against them.
He said the lifting of emergency was necessary for a fair election.
The dialogue between the government and the political parties started on May 22. The government already had meetings with 16 parties including the Awami League.