The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

The Government is expected to abandon its plan to hold a joint formal dialogue with all political parties, as the Awami League and Jatiya Party (Ershad) have categorically refused to sit for such a (joint) meeting, if leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami and war criminals were invited.

Instead, the formal dialogue would be held bilaterally with each party separately like that of the two earlier rounds of parleys held between the Election Commission (EC) and politicians, sources close to the Political Committee of Council of Advisers told The New Nation last night after their informal meeting with the leaders of Jatiya Party (Ershad) yesterday.

"The Government can neither ignore the two major political parties nor the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is one of the four major political parties of the country according to their representation in the last Parliament," an Adviser, who attended the meeting told this Correspondent seeking anonymity.

When contacted, AL Presidium member Tofail Ahmed, who led his party's delegation to the informal talks on Monday, and Jatiya Party (JP) Acting Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, who led his party's team, confirmed the development.

The AL and JP, however, agreed with the Government proposal for the presence of important stakeholders, like the FBCCI, BGMEA and media representatives during the formal talks, Tofail and Barrister Anis added.

Meanwhile, Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, who is maintaining liaison with the political leaders, contacted AL Acting President Zillur Rahman yesterday seeking appointment for the second round of informal talks, amid preconditions set on the same day by the AL leaders and BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain. Both the major political parties called upon the Government to create an atmosphere congenial for the talks.

The AL's preconditions include the unconditional release of all political prisoners, particularly the party Chief and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and an immediate meeting between the detained BNP Chairperson and former premier Begum Khaleda Zia and Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who leads the anti-reform faction of the BNP.

Acting Secretary General of the BNP (pro-reform) Maj (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, however, disagreed with the assertion saying, "The pre-conditions for the release of the two detained former Prime Ministers would not only foil the dialogue it would ultimately push the country backward to the politics of confrontations and civil war, which was averted by the January 11 changeover."

AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam after a meeting of the party's Presidium, the highest policymaking body, with Acting President Zillur Rahman in the chair at his Ivy Tower residence in Gulshan, said that his party would not sit for a second round of informal talks with the Government if it did not get a formal invitation.