The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Five advisers of the Caretaker Government yesterday held parleys with the leaders of BNP, Awami League and its allies to ensure the participation of all parties in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Insiders said the government side proposed deferment of the polling date from December 18 to a convenient date within the same. Leaders of the Awami League were yet to come to a conclusion on the proposal when we went to the press last night.

After the meeting with Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and leaders of the 14-party alliance at Hasina's Shudha Sadan residence, Adviser for Commerce Dr Hossain Zillur told reporters that the government is working for a smooth transition through the elections.

"We have a short discussion with Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and leaders of the 14-party alliance," he said.

Awami League spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam said that they were working to ensure that the elections are held in a free and fair manner.

Both of them parried questions about the rescheduling of the polls.

Meanwhile, Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, who among others attended the meeting, told reporters that the government proposed deferment of the parliamentary polls from December 18 to December 28 and upazila elections from December 28 to January 8.

Among the 14-party leaders, the meeting was also attended by Amir Hossain Amu, Tofayel Ahmed and Motiya Chowdhury of AL, Anisul Islam Mahmood and Ziauddin Bablu of Jatiya Party, Rashed Khan Menon of Workers Party and Hasanul Haque Inu, and Mainuddin Khan Badal of JSD.

Earlier, the five advisers had a meeting with BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office in the city and discussed about their conditions to take part in the polls.

Both sides termed it 'fruitful' for resolving the four-point demand of the four-party alliance.

BNP Secretary General Khandker Delwar Hossain and Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman termed the meeting 'fruitful' for joining the alliance in the parliamentary election on December 18.

The five Advisers met with Begum Zia to discuss the four-point charter of demands.

Begum Zia who is also the leader of the four-party alliance on Monday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government for accepting the alliance's four-point demands as a precondition for their participation in the elections.

Foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader, Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Local Government Adviser Anwarul Iqbal and Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman were at Khaleda's Gulshan office from 6.45 pm to 8.15pm.

After the meeting BNP Secretary General Khandker Delwar Hossain said the BNP as well as the alliance wanted to participate in the polls.

"BNP is a pro-election party and we the alliance are very keen to go to elections," he added.

When asked on the progress of the meeting, he termed it ' positive' and said so far they are satisfied with the outcome of the discussion.

"We are satisfied with the outcome of our discussion with the advisers, " he mentioned.

Dr Hossain Zillur said discussions were underway and more will take place. He termed the meeting 'fruitful'.

The meeting was also attended by BNP joint secretary general Nazrul Islam Khan and standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

The BNP-led four-party alliance gave the government 48 hours to meet their four conditions, including a new schedule, on which they would take part in the general election.

BNP and its allies have called for total withdrawal of the state of emergency and re-announcement of the election schedule for the sake of pilgrims who are now in Saudi Arabia to perform haj.

Changes to Section 91(E) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) that gives the Election Commission power to cancel candidature and deferment of Upazila polls are the two demands.