The Awami League's (AL) new general secretary, Obaidul Quader, yesterday rejected the possibility of holding any talks with the BNP over the formation of the next Election Commission (EC) to oversee the next general elections, scheduled to be held in 2019. “Why will we have to sit with the BNP? Has it kept the door open for talks? The BNP itself has shut the door to holding a dialogue with the ruling party. If it tries to make the next election controversial again, it will repeat its past mistake,” Quader told reporters at the Secretariat in the city.
He said if the BNP wanted to participate in the next general election, it has to do so by accepting the present Constitution, which stipulated that the next parliamentary polls will be held under the incumbent Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. “We should make the EC stronger so that the commission can work independently to hold free, fair and credible elections,” he added. Earlier, the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, paid a courtesy call on Quader and conveyed his best wishes on his being selected as the ruling party’s new general secretary. Replying to a question, Quader said India did not interfere in Bangladesh’s domestic affairs. The Sheikh Hasina government is committed to holding the next general elections in a free, fair and credible manner and India has no interest in exerting influence in this regard, he added.
The AL leader said he was hopeful that the long-pending Teesta and Feni river water sharing issues would be resolved through Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to India in December this year. “As far as I know, the Indian government has remained positive about the Teesta agreement. I hope the existing trouble with the West Bengal government will also be resolved in the near future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Obaidul Quader, in another programme yesterday morning, dubbed the BNP a “frustrated organisation”. The BNP has become a press conference-based political party after being isolated from the people for its destructive politics, he added. He was talking to reporters after placing a wreath at the grave of Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib, wife of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the city’s Banani graveyard. AL presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Begum Matiya Chowdhury, Sahara Khatun, Faruk Khan and Abdur Razzak; joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif and Jahangir Kabir Nanok; and organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and Enamul Haque Shamim were also present.
Referring to the BNP’s claim that the AL has not achieved anything through its 20th national council session, Quader said it was ridiculous that the BNP always talked about democracy even though it has never practised it. The AL had elected its next leadership in a democratic manner at its 20th council session, held at the Suhrawardi Udyan on October 22–23, he asserted. Meanwhile, criticising the new Awami League general secretary for his comment that there is no need to hold any dialogue with BNP, its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said engaging in talks is essential for the sake of a credible and inclusive election.
“There’s no other potion, but to hold dialogue for the restoration of true democracy and holding a fair election. So, an effective way will have to be found out through discussions with all political parties for a free and fair election,” he said.
The BNP leader came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing wreaths at BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave with leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, marking its 38th founding anniversary.
“The ruling party must engage in discussions with political parties as per the hopes and aspirations of the country’s people, paving the way for credible polls with the participation of all parties,” the BNP leader observed. About framing charges against BNP leader MA Qaiyum in Italian citizen Cesare Tavella murder case, Fakhrul said the contradiction among law enforcement agencies over the issue has demonstrated that the government is trying to subdue its opponents by creating terrorism.  “It also manifested that the country now lacks the rule of law.”