The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Four Advisers Thursday had informal pre-dialogue interactions with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who demanded parliamentary elections prior to local body polls and release of Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina to participate in the formal dialogue with the government.

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur and LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal held the parley with a 4-member Jamaat delegation led by its Nayeb-e-Ameer Makbul Hossain at the Railway Bhaban. Other members of the Jamaat delegation were Maulana

Abdus Sobhan, Mohammad Qamaruzzaman and Barrister Abdur Razzak. The meeting lasted for one hour and 15 minutes from 10:25am.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Qamaruzzaman said they discussed creation of election atmosphere, holding of parliamentary elections before local body elections and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, if necessary on bail, to allow them to take part in the proposed dialogue.