BNP welcomes talks move

Six days into a group of civil society members proposed for holding a national dialogue to end the political standoff, the BNP today said it would welcome such initiative.

"We welcome any initiative of national consensus, national dialogue and national charter for holding an acceptable election participated by all under a nonpartisan government," BNP Joint Secretary General Salauddin Ahmed said in a statement this afternoon.

Nagorik Samaj, a platform of civil society members, on February 9 sent three letters to the president, the prime minister and the BNP chairperson, requesting them to take initiatives for holding a national dialogue to resolve the ongoing political crisis.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been leading the ongoing movement "not to ascend to power" but for the betterment of the country and its democracy, the statement added.

"Time demands constituting a national charter and rewriting the Constitution, if necessary, for the realization of the spirit of the Liberation War," the BNP leader said in the statement.

"We welcome the businessmen's threat, at a hunger strike arranged by garments owners, to stop giving water, gas and electricity bills as well as tax to the government," the statement added.

BACKGROUND

Nagorik Samaj in the letters mentioned that a views-exchange meeting of people from different professions was held at the Engineers' Institute on February 7, where the participants unanimously adopted a proposal on holding "a national dialogue to resolve the national crisis".

The letters also requested the prime minister and BNP chief to take initiatives for holding talks considering the proposal.

Nagorik Samaj under the banner of Jatiya Oikya Prokriya (national unity process) had organised the meeting where distinguished personalities expressed the need for taking initiatives for holding a national dialogue to come out of the ongoing crisis.

Eminent jurist and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, former CEC ATM Shamsul Huda, former caretaker government advisers -- Dr Akbar Ali Khan, CM Shafi Sami, Rasheda K Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed, former IGP Nurul Huda, advocate Shahdeen Malik and CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim, among others, spoke on the occasion.