The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

Adviser for Education and Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday had an unscheduled meeting with former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her at Shaheed Moinul Road residence at Dhaka Cantonment in the city.

What exactly was discussed at the meeting could not be known till filing of this report late last night. No other BNP leader was present during the two hours long parley beginning at 7:15 in the evening.

However, party sources said during the meeting, Begum Khaleda Zia discussed the party stance on registration with the Election Commission as well as participation in the forthcoming elections.

The meeting took place five days ahead of the proposed government dialogue with the BNP scheduled for October 15.

Party insiders termed it one-to-one talk and said topics of the October 15 dialogue figured prominently in the talks.

Earlier, four advisers including Dr Hossain Zillur had held a meeting with Begum Zia at the same venue on September 12 the following day of her release from jail on bail.

Meanwhile, BNP’s first round of dialogue with the Caretaker Government scheduled for October 15 is seen by observers as an indication of its softening of stance on registration with the Election Commission (EC) and participation in the forthcoming general elections.

But it’s not clear how the party or the EC will meet the deadline for registration, which also ends on the day.

BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain yesterday told reporters that they would decide their party registration after the dialogue.

Demanding extension of the registration deadline he said, "It won't hurt anyone if the deadline for registration with the Election Commission is deferred by a few days.”

“We'll go for registration. But before that, we'd like to inform the government about our concerns, including the proposed RPO Ordinance 2008," Delwar Hossain said.

When contacted Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Shakhawat Hossain told The New Nation that they were yet to receive any request from any party to extend the deadline for registration.

“A formal request over telephone or in writing has to come to the Commission from the party concerned. If such request is made the full Commission will sit to consider the same,” he said.

On BNP’s latest stance to register the party with the EC after the dialogue with the Government, the Election Commissioner said he did not see any link between the registration and the dialogue.

Asked whether the BNP would make a formal proposal to the Commission, Acting Office Secretary of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told The New Nation that the party would discuss the matter after the return of the party Secretary General now outside of Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami, a major partner of the four-party alliance, also changed its earlier stance on registration with the Election Commission.

Jamaat Ameer Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami on Thursday told reporters that they are ready to register their party with the Commission if it was a requirement by law.

“If necessary we will bring further amendment to our party constitution in line with the new electoral laws,” he said.

Echoing the same view, Secretary General of Islami Oikya Jote Maulana Abdul Latif Nezami said they would abide by the decision of the four-party alliance on registration.