Govt ready to talk with BNP on CG alternative

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Thursday, 23 February 2012

Author / Source : STAFF REPORTER

DHAKA, FEB 22: Two senior ruling Awami League leaders have hinted that the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is ready to talk with the opposition on the issue of finding out an alternative to the caretaker government. Railways Minister Suranjit Sengupta on Wednesday said the government is ready to sit with the main opposition BNP to discuss the issue of Interim Government anytime at any place to hold a free and fair election.
“We are prepared to sit anywhere with the main opposition BNP to settle their demand on the issue of the caretaker government. We want to hand over power through a peaceful, fair, impartial and credible election,” he told reporters after a luncheon meeting with the visiting European parliament members at a city hotel.
Criticising the BNP's mistakes for not attending the meetings of special committee on constitution amendment, he said, the “BNP could have placed their proposal in the committee. I urge the opposition to join the parliament and place their demand on the caretaker government issue before the parliament. I hope, the parliament would consider their demand.”
Begum Zia must sit with the prime minister in parliament to settle the issue, because parliament is the best place to sort it out, the railways minister pointed out.  
Sengupta also requested the EU parliamentary members to invest in the railways sector for its development.
Ms Jean Lambert (Greens, European Free Alliance, leading the seven-member European parliamentary team) said they have already visited Jessore, Khulna and the Sundarbans to see various EU-funded projects helping to provide primary education to local communities, promote Bangladeshi exports and protect the region’s environment.
“We will disclose our views about Bangladesh through a press conference on Thursday (today) at the Ruposhi Bangla hotel at 3:30pm,” she said.
Other visiting members of the European parliament are Thomas Mann (European People’s Party), Niccol Rinaldi (Alliance of Democrats and Liberals), Salvador Sedo i Alabart (European People’s Party), Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar (Socialist and Democrats), Nirj Deva (Conservatives and Reformists), Slavi Binev (Non-attached).
Meanwhile, Awami League leader Abdul Jalil has urged the main opposition party BNP to place the formula of interim government in the Parliament for holding the next general election in impartial manner.
“They should present the formula of interim government in the Parliament for discussion to hold the next general election in free, fair and impartial manner. If they do not come to the Parliament, I think they do not belief in democracy,” Jalil said while addressing a discussion organised by Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote at Mukti Bhaban at Paltan in the capital on Wednesday.
However, AL former general secretary Abdul Jalil said, political consensus is needed to strengthen the country’s democracy. Referring to the March 12 grand rally of four-party alliance, he said, AL led 14-party alliance has announced the programme on March 11 for speedy trial of war criminals, not against the BNP programme.
He urged the BNP chairperson to stop trying to save the war criminals. The government is committed to hold the trial of war criminals in a transparent way, he added. “International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is following international standard to hold the trial of those committed crimes against humanity during the war of liberation in 1971,” Jalil added.
Abdul Jalil, also a ruling party lawmaker said, conspiracy has been hatching at home and abroad to spoil the trial of war criminals and added said that the trial of war criminals could not be held due to the adverse situation in last 40 years.
About freedom fighter late actor Humayun Faridee, he said that Faridee was a brilliant actor of the country.
The discussion was chaired by Sheikh Jahangir Alam, central leader of Bangabandhu Sangskritk Jote. Among others, eminent actor ATM Shamsuzzaman and former joint secretary of AL, Mozaffar Hossain also spoke on the occasion.