The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Syed Ashraful Islam, Acting General Secretary of Awami League (AL) yesterday denied report in a section of press that AL chief Sheikh Hasina has agreed to sit across the table with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in a policy summit.

He said that neither he nor his party has received any e-mail or written letter in this regard from Sheikh Hasina who is now in the United States.

Earlier, AL presidium member Suranjit Sen Gupta confirmed to the reporters about the e-mail from Hasina while other senior AL leaders including Amir Hossain Amu dismissed such a mail as just a rumour.

He feared that the militant groups might attempt to kill party chief Sheikh Hasina when she will launch the election campaign ahead of the general elections slated for Dec. 18.

He asked the caretaker government to arrange Special Security Force (SSF) for Sheikh Hasina and other senior political leaders of his party.

Ashraful requested the businessmen and lawyers not to involve themselves in politics, rather they should mind on their own business instead of trying to bring the two former prime ministers to a negotiating table.

Ashraful was briefing the reporters after his meeting with the deputy British High Commissioner in Dhaka Duncan Norman at his NAM flat.

Barrister Rafiqul Huq, who moved cases for both Hasina and BNP Chief Khaleda in court, took the initiative to bring them across a table to discuss over national issues.

Anisul Huq ,President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) which represents the business community, recently said they were also trying to get the two arch political rivals to sit across the table.

About the apprehension of possible militant attack on Sheikh Hasina, Syed Ashraful Islam said that she narrowly escaped a series of grenade blasts on a rally at the party's headquarters on Aug. 21, 2003 that left 24 people dead including a top party leader Ivy Rahman and scores of others injured.

"We all want the polls to be held peacefully, but even the British diplomats here are apprehensive of atrocities and militant attacks that might affect us."

He quoted the British diplomat as saying that they were worried about the safety of people during the electioneering.

He feared that professional terrorists and militants might be more and more active and launch violent attacks.

"We will mull over the issue of meeting between Hasina and Khaleda after the government formally tells AL to hold such a summit. But the government has not yet proposed to AL formally about such meeting. AL will consider the two-leader dialogue only after the government invites us officially to such a meeting, " said Ashraful.

Talking to the journalists, the British envoy said he came to convey three messages to the AL that the two major political parties should participate in the national elections, provoking politics should be given up and the two work together to strengthen the country's democratic institutions, including parliament and the Election Commission (EC).

I'll convey the same message to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party too," he said.

He emphasised on practicing of constructive politics saying, "Politics of conflict will not augur well for the progress of a developing country like Bangladesh."

Asked if a level playing field had been readied for the polls, he said: "We think people must have the opportunity to choose their leaders."