The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The much-awaited government sponsored dialogue with the BNP and Jammat-e-Islami Bangladesh would be held on October 14 instead of 15.

"The government has set October 14 for dialogue with BNP at 10:30 am and will sit with the Jamaat at 3:00 pm," the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim said yesterday.

Sources from BNP said the date for dialogue was reset in consultation with the BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia with the Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman at her cantonment residence on Friday.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakruddin Ahmed will led the government side. Five Advisers Major General (Retd) Ghulam Quader, AF Hassan Ariff, Anwarul Iqbal, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowhury and Hossain Zillur Rahman will also be present in the dialogue.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain said that his party will sit with the government for dialogue.

"BNP will sit with the government in the interest of holding free, fair and credible elections," he told the media at his NAM flat yesterday.

He said that during the dialogue with the government his party would raise five points of demand.

Replying to a question on the deadline of registration on October 15 set by the Election Commission (EC), BNP Secretary General said " We will request to the EC to extend the deadline for registration,".

He, however, said the four party alliances will decide about registration after talks with the government.

A special committee of BNP held a meeting yesterday at the office of party Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan at Dhanmondi in the city.

BNP Vice Chairman MK Anwar, former lawmaker Abdul Mannan and office secretary Rizvi Ahmed among others were also present.

After the meeting MK Anwar said that the special committee has yet to finalised the discussion points of the dialogue.

" We have not finalised the discussion points of the dialogue," he added.

He also said that the committee would submit a report on the same to the BNP Secretary General soon after it's completion.

Asked on what would be the discussion points of the party with the government during dialogue he said that lifting sate of emergency, defer the upazila polls, withdrawal of all cases and release of all detained party leaders and activist and ensuring a level playing field for all parties to participate in the parliamentary elections.