The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Amid an intense tug-of-war over BNP leadership, the Election Commission yesterday again decided to invite acting secretary general of the party Maj (rtd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed for dialogue on reform of election laws on April 27.

Announcing the Commission's crucial decision, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters that the invitation letter would be dispatched to Hafiz tonight (Tuesday night).

In an instant reaction from the other side, BNP chairperson's Advisor Brig Gen (rtd) ASM Hannan Shah said there was nothing to wonder about the Election Commission's decision as it was a foregone conclusion to them.

"The Election Commission had given them invitation earlier and we knew that this time, too, it would again give them the invitation," he told UNB.

On April 20, five standing-committee members of the party met the CEC and requested the Commission to send dialogue letter to Khandaker Delwar Hossain as legitimate secretary general of the BNP.

Earlier on November 5, the Commission sent invitation to Hafiz for the dialogue on November 22, but the meet was suspended on November 20 as the High Court stayed the Commission's action following a writ petition by detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. On April 10, the High Court rejected Khaleda's writ.

"We withdrew our decision on suspension of dialogue with BNP following the High Court judgment of April 10," CEC Huda said, adding, "We are sending our invitation letter to Hafiz Uddin Ahmed to join the dialogue with his delegation on April 27 at 10am."

The CEC refused to entertain any question from the reporters, only saying that the Commission would sit "once" with BNP. And this once-only meet apparently seals the fate of the Khaleda-loyal faction' s bid for securing EC invitation for dialogue with them.

The Commission selected 17 political parties on its own criteria for dialogue on electoral reforms in the interim period. The dialogue with parties was held in November-December last year, excepting BNP, the immediate-past ruling party that suffers disunity due to its internal conflict over the leadership.

The BNP leadership controversy surfaced when on November 5 last year the EC, ignoring Khaleda-appointed BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain, sent a letter to the reformist faction of Maj (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed to participate in the dialogue.

As the immediate-past ruling party fell in trouble in the interim period following the EC decision, detained BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a writ petition before the High Court challenging validity of the Commission's letter inviting the reformist faction for the dialogue.

On November 18 last year, four days before the proposed dialogue, the High Court, responding to Khaleda's writ, had stayed operation of the EC letter to Major Hafiz, throwing the EC-sponsored pre-poll dialogue into dilemmas. The High Court had also issued a rule upon the EC in this regard.

Pending the High Court ruling, the EC could not complete its dialogue programme with the political parties on electoral reforms.

The HC on April 10 discharged the writ petition ruling that the case is not maintainable as the issue raised disputed question of fact which does not come under writ jurisdiction.

The court also found no illegality in EC invitation for dialogue, which ultimately sent the matter of inviting BNP for dialogue into the EC's court.

Following the HC verdict, the EC on April 16 dispatched invitation letters to both the factions of BNP to sit separately with the EC on April 17 to discuss the issue of unity between the groups.

After the two separate rounds of talks, CEC Huda categorically said the EC would have to take its own decision should the factions not stand united within what looks like a short-span deadline of two to three days, which ended on April 20 without avail.

The Election Commission's pre-dialogue parleys with the two BNP factions apparently produced puzzles as Delwar group insisted on formal invitation to them for dialogue while the EC asked them to come united with their dissident colleagues soon.

Apparently skipping the EC's ultimatum for unity, the Khaleda-loyalists on April 20 submitted a letter of five members of the National Standing Committee of BNP apprising the EC that Khandaker Delwar Hossain is the legitimate secretary general of the party according to its constitution.

However, four of the five members were present at the NSC meeting of the party held on October 29 last year under the initiative of the dissidents. The four later made a volte-face through affidavit in court claiming that it was not an NSC meet at all.

Later on April 21, a 12-mmeber delegation of the reformist faction of BNP submitted a letter signed by 54 former Members of Parliament to the EC with a strong plea that the Commission should send letter to interim secretary general Maj (retd) Hafizuddin to sit for the stalled dialogue.

Following the submission by the reformist faction of BNP CEC Huda observed to the reporters that unity between the two feuding factions still remained a far cry.

The EC was waiting to get the HC verdict in hand, he said, adding that they expected to get it by Monday (April 21) and that the decision of sending invitation for the dialogue would be taken thereafter. And sources said the Commission got it unofficially in the meantime.