The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman yesterday warned that the dialogue with political parties would be fruitless without the participation of Sheikh Hasina and urged the Government to take initiative to get her free as soon as possible.

"The Awami League has not taken a final decision on whether to go to the dialogue or not," Zillur told reporters after a bilateral meeting with leaders of Samyabadi Dal at his Gulshan residence.

However, the AL acting president claimed Samyabadi Dal was going to the dialogue in some confusion. "The party will tell the government that the dialogue without the Awami League will not be successful," Zillur said.

"The Chief Adviser spoke of a 'national charter' in his address to the nation. We don't know what will be in the charter," he said.

Zillur said the AL and Samyabadi Dal agreed in Thursday's meeting that the constitution of 1972 would be their charter. "That charter could be reformed if necessary."

Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua said: "We decided to go to dialogue. We hope that the Awami League, too, will go."

But he added that his party would demand that the participation of AL in the dialogue be ensured. "Dialogue can't be meaningful without AL's participation," Dilip Barua said.

Dilip Barua said the state of emergency must be lifted soon and an unelected government was not entitled to formulate a national charter. "It is only parliament that can create a national charter."

At the evening hour the Awami league held another meeting with the Islamic Front of Bangladesh at the Gulshan residence of Zillur Rahman, Acting President of Awami League.

The leaders also demanded lifting of emergency completely and removal of restriction on political activities as no election would be possible under the emergency.

Zillur Rahman urged the leaders of IFB to be organised to go for massive movement to release Sheikh Hasina and to revive democracy in the coubtry.

Awami League presidium member Tofail Ahmed said, "In 1970 Ayub Khan invited us to attend in a round table keeping Sheikh Mujibur Rahman behind the bar. But we got him released through a massive movement and attended the roundtable led by him. Similarly we will make Sheikh Hasina free at any cost and participated in the upcoming dialogue and parliamentary election led by her."

Criticising the recent address of the Chief Adviser he said " we no need another National Charter, as we believe our constitution drafted in 1972 is the main national charter.'

Allama syed Mohammad Bahadur Sha Mujadeddi, Chairman of IFB said, "The government has detained Sheikh Hasina illegally, as no allegation against her could be proved. This is the violation of human rights."

He assured the Awami League leaders to take part in the movement for releasing Sheikh Hasina.

He also urged the government to get free Sheikh Hasina immediately to make a positive atmosphere to achieve the desired outcomes from the dialogue.

Allama Khandaker Golam Mawla Nakshibadi, Vice President of IFB asked the people of Bangladesh to bear the ideology of independence in mind and to participate in the movement for releasing Sheikh Hasina, as Awami League played the vital role during the liberation war.

A number of leaders of both the parties were present at the bilateral.