The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The much-talked about national dialogue with the Government and political parties kicked off yesterday, with Workers Party asking the administration to take immediate step to ensure the participation of all parties, including detained Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in the formal talks, while the Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) demanded for setting up a Constitution Commission to update the Constitution shortening the tenure of the government to four years, create a balance of power between the President and the Prime Minister as well as ensuring representation of the civil society and minority community in Parliament.

The Workers Party (WP), which was the first political party to join the dialogue in the morning, also demanded immediate total withdrawal of the state of emergency, holding Parliamentary election before all other polls and release of Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil, while the BDB asked the Government to build a minimum 30 lakh tones of food reserve and sufficient fuel stock to ensure food and fuel security.

The BDB also suggested the Government to hold a referendum to validate the tenure of the present Caretaker Government and increasing the number of reserve women seats in Parliament, enhancing the volume subsidy for the farmers and income of the people, particularly the salary of the fixed income groups. However, the BDB would say anything about the two detained Prime Ministers and state of emergency but insisted on holding the elections as per the roadmap.

The WP opposed the official moves for mapping out a National Charter through the dialogue, the banning of hartal and blockade as political weapon, demanded immediate withdrawal of restriction on trade union activities, setting up of special tribunal to try war criminals and suspension of the delimitation process of parliamentary constituencies by the Election Commission and implementation of women's development policy.

The Government side cleared, during the dialogue sessions, its stand about the proposed National Charter, saying that it is not the matter of preparing any constitutional structure nor any kind of political legal document rather a process of building political consensus among the political parties where the government's role will be as facilitator.

Two equal seven-member delegations of the WP led by its President Rashed Khan Menon and BDB led by its Chief former President Prof Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury took part in the dialogue separately with a six-member Government delegation led by Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office at 10:00am and 4:00pm respectively.

After the separate two hours-long meetings between the Government and the WP and the BDB, WP President Rashed Khan Menon, BDB Secretary General Maj (retd) MA Mannan and Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman on their respective disclose the contents and outcomes of their discussion to journalists through two separate joint press briefings at the Chief Advisers office (CAO) at noon and in the evening.

LGRD Adviser M Anwarul Iqbal, Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Rtd) Ghulam Kader and Law Adviser AF HassanAriff were in the Government team, and WP General Secretary Bimal Biswas, its leaders Haider Akbar Khan Rono, Fazle Hossain Badsha, Anisur Rahman Mallick, Hazera Sultana and Quamrul Ahsan and BDB Presidium member Mahi B Chowdhury.

The WP and the BDB placed two separate packages of charter of demands to the Government during the dialogue on the first day, yesterday. Both the parties had over two hours parleys with the Caretaker Government.

Briefing journalists, WP President Rashed Khan Menon said the government assured them that it would take all required steps to ensure the participation of all political parties in the dialogue.

"We have also demanded withdrawal of ban on trade union and direct and indirect control and interference on all kinds of professions, including media," he said.

Menon however, said that the government explained that it is not the matter of preparing any constitutional structure nor any kind of legal document, rather it is a process of building political consensus among the political parties where the government would play its role as facilitator.

The WP also took a stand against any move of the caretaker government to bring any change in the system of government and devolution of power among the highest constitutional posts without parliament, he said.

The WPB chief said his party recommended formation of a tribunal for the trial of war criminals, participation of representatives from different professionals and indigenous community in the formal dialogue to ensure their participation in mainstream politics.

Asking the Government to hold a national referendum, the BDB said, "If the government in office gets less than 50 percent vote in the referendum, it will have to hand over power to a caretaker government."

The BDB said in its dialogue with the caretaker government aimed at working out modalities of transition into democratic dispensation through election.

The party of former President Professor AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, who had to make an unceremonious exit from the presidency, also proposed balancing power between the President and the Prime Minister on the basis of consensus among the political parties.

After the dialogue from 4pm to 6pm, speaking first at a joint press briefing in the press-briefing room ofthe CA's office, BDB secretary general Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan said they also demanded ensuring the holding of the next general election in a peaceful and

secure environment so that the parties can campaign peacefully as well voters feel secure in casting their vote.

For peaceful and secure election it needs flawless voter list, he added.

They also sought guarantee so that no planned vote rigging takes place once again, which happened in the past. They also demanded that no 'robbery' in announcement of election results take place.

Adviser for Commerce and Education Hossain Zillur Rahman, one of the advisers attended the meeting, said open discussion was held on all issues and the WPB leaders focused their statements clearly.

He termed the dialogue very important in national life and hoped that there a successful outcome would come from it.

On the national charter, Zillur said the government has cleared that the proposed national charter is basically political consensus, no political legal document, where government can only play the facilitator.

"The government does not want to prepare a legal document for the political parties rather it means building a consensus and understanding among them over various issues," he said.

About the local-government elections, the Adviser said the government would not take such any effort that creates barrier to hold the general election in accordance with the roadmap.

The Adviser said though holding a free and fair election is the prime target of the government, it also want to ensure a qualitative change in politics of the country.

Regarding review of the Constitution, he said whether it could be reviewed or what could be other options for it were discussed openly.