The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

The talks between the policymakers of the Government and the Awami League (AL), who had an informal meeting for the first time on Monday in preparation of the formal political dialogue, was successful.

Disclosing this yesterday, the leader of the five-member Government delegation Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and AL delegation led by Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed said they would continue their informal talks in order to ensure the success of the ensuing political dialogue between the interim administration and political parties.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed proposed a political dialogue in his address to the nation, while Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed yesterday said the formal dialogue would decide the holding of the general elections, lifting of the State of Emergency and other major issues of national interest.

Meanwhile, the five members high-powered official delegation of the Council of Advisers of the Caretaker Government yesterday contacted Secretaries General of both the anti-reform and reformist factions of the BNP-Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed seeking appointments for informal talks separately.

Conforming the information, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who leads the anti-reform faction, said they would not join the talks if the Government does not allow him to take permission form the detained party Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

BNP (reformist) Acting Secretary General Maj Hafizuddin Ahmed said the party Acting Chairman M Saiufur Rahman would soon call a meeting of the National Standing Committee to take a decision as to whether they would join the talks together in consultation with Begum Zia and Khandaker Delwar or separately. “We are in favour of a joint talks-informal or otherwise,” he asserted when talking to this Correspondent last night.

About the talks between the AL and the Government, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed and influential AL Presidium member Tofail Ahmed, who took part in all post- '75 dialogues-political or otherwise-between his party and Governments or foreign donors, either as leader or a member of the delegation, told journalists that both of them were hopeful that the formal dialogue would begin in the third week of this month (April) and would be successful.

The Foreign Adviser said they would sit for informal talks with all political parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, bilaterally before the formal talks, while Tofail Ahmed said his party would boycott the all-party formal dialogue, if the Jamaat leaders were invited.

“We are not negotiating (confrontations) with each other, rather we are working together through exchanging opinions on issues of national interests, including the elections, in a very cordial and friendly atmosphere,” Dr Iftekhar said.

Tofail disclosed that the agenda of Monday’s parleys between his party and the Government highlighted the smooth transition to democracy by holding free, fair and credible elections, the release of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the pressing issues facing the nation as well as how to tame price spiral of the essentials, especially foodstuffs and edible oil.

Echoing the views, AL Presidium Member Begum Matia Chowdhury said the party would take the final decision about the formal dialogue taking approval from its concerned forums-the Presidium and the Central Working Committee (ALCWC).

“One of the main issues to be finalised by the ALCWC would be as to whether we join the formal talks without our party Chief Sheikh Hasina or not,” she said, asserting that the AL wants to go to the general elections under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

Sources close to an Adviser, an influential member of the official committee for dialogue with political parties, who attended the Monday’s meeting with the AL at the Railway Building, told the New Nation they are also in touch with leaders of other political parties, including Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jamaat-e-Islami and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh led by former President Prof Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.