The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

With the Chief Adviser's Office yesterday completed sending the invitation letters to all political parties, listed on the basis of pre-dialogue sittings and the Election Commission's (EC's) talks with them, senior leaders of the major political parties started tightening their belts by setting up tough pre-conditions for their participation in the ensuing formal dialogue with the Government.

The BNP and Awami League (AL) yesterday put identical pre-conditions, which called for the release of their respective party Chiefs-two detained Prime Ministers-BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and AL President Sheikh Hasina and allow the two top lady politicians to take part in the dialogue, sending a bleak message about the success of the moot.

The formal dialogue will begin on May 22 at the Chief Advisers office as per his Monday's announcement through address to the nation. The highest seven member delegation from each of the political parties was invited to join the talks.

The Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) yesterday sent the invitation letters to the Awami League (AL), both groups of the BNP, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jamaat-e-Islami, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Gano Forum (GF), Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), National Awami Party (NAP-Mozaffar), JSD (Rob), BSD (Khaleque), Islami Shashantanra Andolan, Khelafat Majlish Khelafat Andolan, Kalyan Party and the UPR, among over 20 other political parties.

Earlier on Tuesday, the CAO sent invitation to six political parties-Workers Party (WP), CPB, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), JSD (Inu), Shamyobadi Dal and Sramik Krishak Janata League (KSJL).

The CAO also sent a copy of Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed address to the nation, delivered on Monday evening, along with the invitation letters to each of the political parties.

Meanwhile, the five Advisers, who were entrusted to prepare ground for the dialogue and carried out the pre-dialogues, yesterday at a meeting decided that the Chief Adviser's Office would be venue for the formal talks between the political parties and the Government, as Chief Adviser Dr Fakruddin Ahmed is likely to attend some of the sittings.

Justifying his party's pre-condition after receiving the invitation letters, AL Acting General Syed Asharful Islam said the demand was raised as per a decision of a two-day meeting of the AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) concluded with party Acting President Zillur Rahman in the chair yesterday.

He did not give a direct answer when asked whether the AL was boycotting the dialogue if Sheikh Hasina was not released and allowed to join the talks. But, he hastened to add, "The ALCWC will meet again anytime within a day or two to take a decision on the dialogue. But, most of the party leaders are of the opinion that a National Charter can never be mapped out in the dialogue if Sheikh Hasina does not participate in it since she is the one, who represents the people and the AL."

When asked, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain reiterated his previous stance saying, "Dialogue without the participation of the detained former Prime Ministers-Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina-will be a meaningless exercise and pre-destined to fail."

He said he would again apply to the jail authorities to allow him to meet Begum Zia in the prison to take directives from her about the party's position on dialogue. He would not say whether his party would boycott the talks or not.

JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader said party Chairman HM Ershad would take the final decision in consultation with other leaders on the dialogue. We are in favour of joining the talks, he added.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, at a press conference earlier in the afternoon, dropped a broad hint that his party might boycott the dialogue if he was arrested in the GATCO scam case. "The Chief Adviser has failed to create 'proper' atmosphere for dialogue through address to the nation."

However, leaders of the BNP reformists, BDB, GF, PDP, IOJ, JSD (Rob), UPR and CPB told The New Nation that they would join the dialogue in order to ensure smooth transition to democracy and elected governance.

Earlier, like the previous day, senior officials of the CAO yesterday handed over the invitation letters, which requested each of the party to send names of five to seven-member delegation for the dialogue, in person to the General Secretary or Secretary General of each of the political, in most cases at their respective residences.

The officials dispatched the letters to AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and BNP (anti-reform) Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain at their NAM Flat residence, BNP (reformist) Acting Secretary General Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, Jatiya Party (JP) Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, LDP Secretary General Prof Jahanara Begum and GF Acting General Secretary Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, among others parties.

"We have completed inviting the political party leaders," Syed Fahim Munaim, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser told The New Nation yesterday night.

Earlier, in the afternoon after the meeting of five advisers, Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said the Chief Adviser's Office was finalised as the venue for the dialogue. "

The advisers' meeting was held at LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal's office. The four other advisers are Communications Adviser Maj General (retd) Golam Kader, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Law Advisor AF Hassan Ariff and Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman.

The Commerce Adviser said that invitation letters for the dialogue have already been sent to all the political parties.

"Keeping in mind that list of the political parties, we are sending the letters," Dr Hossain Zillur said, adding, "We are working to make the dialogue meaningful."

He said it has not yet decided as to who should be invited from the civil society to sit in dialogue with the Government. He, however, dropped a broad hint that those participated in the pre-dialogue sessions might be invited to join the formal dialogue.