Staff Reporter :The ruling Awami League has expressed its eagerness to sit for talks with the opposition BNP to resolve ongoing political impasse. But the BNP should shun the path of violence and terrorism first as a precondition of dialogue.The AL leaders, those had attended a meeting with some western diplomats at European Union envoy’s residence on Thursday night, have conveyed the message of party high command to the EU ambassador Pierre Majaudon, diplomatic sources said. “We went there getting an invitation from EU ambassador. We told him that government may sit for a dialogue, if BNP immediately stops ongoing violence,” Abdul Matin Khasru, former Law Minister, who attended the meeting, said yesterday. He said, “We also told the diplomats that the BNP must clarify why and for what reason they are conducting such terrorism and violence.”Apart from ongoing political violence, the AL leaders also exchanged views with the diplomats over ‘foreign aid policy’ for Bangladesh, the sources said. Pierre Majaudon, however, assured the ruling party leaders that they were not thinking about the ‘foreign aid policy’ Earlier, on Thursday night, a team of ruling party leaders gathered at the residence of the ambassador of the European Union at Baridhara in the city. They also joined a dinner party after holding the meeting. Pierre Majaudon arranged the meeting where head of the Department for International Development (DFID) of the British government Sara Cooke, Canadian High Commissioner Benoit-Pierre Laramee, Australian High Commissioner Greg Wilcock and Bangladesh resident representative of United Nations were also present.The Awami League leaders who attended the meeting included law minister Anisul Haque, former Law Minister Abdul Matin Khosru, Suranjit Sengupta MP, former State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku and Abdul Majid Mridha MP. Besides, opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury accompanied them.
