The New Nation - Internet Edition

Invitation goes unheeded: Advisers Hussain Zillur,
Anwarul Iqbal and Hasan Ariff seen leaving the State Guest
House Meghna last night as Pro-Khaleda faction of BNP
refuses to attend an instant meeting with the advisers
following invitation through SMS.

Staff Reporter

Pro-Khaleda BNP faction led by Khondoker Delwar Hossain was invited to pre-dialogue talks with the government through a mobile-to-mobile sms.

Adviser for Commerce and Education Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman invited BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain late yesterday afternoon.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at the state guesthouse Meghna at 8:30pm.

However, the meeting did not take place as Khondoker Delwar requested the adviser to reschedule the meeting because they were yet to get ready to take part in it.

Khondoker Delwar had a meeting themselves and told the adviser over telephone that the meeting did not end before the scheduled time for the pre-dialogue talks.

Sources said the Adviser informed Khondoker Delwar that they would let him know the next schedule for the talks later.

Four advisers of the Caretaker Government Ghulam Quader, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, M Anwarul Iqbal and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman were waiting at the Meghna to join the meeting with BNP. And later they left the venue being informed that the BNP leaders will not come according to the schedule.

Meanwhile, BNP meeting sources said that the leaders decided to join the talks with the government as they have got the green signal from their detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

The government has already held talks with the other faction of the BNP led by Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.