Information Minister Hasanul Haq
Inu said here that BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has to stop violence, anarchy and severe relations with militancy and Jamaat, if she wanted dialogue.
He made the remarks in his ministry’s conference room on Thursday a day after Begum Zia briefed the media.
The minister came down heavily on Khaleda Zia as she blamed the government for carrying out attacks on the minority communities. Her statement is false and baseless, he said. “It was unfortunate that Begum Zia had defended the violence, killing of innocent people including Awami League and Jatiyatabadi Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) leaders and activists, presiding officer, carrying out attacks on minority groups, torching and damaging houses, schools and other establishments in the name of movement,” he said.
Inu, also the president of JSD said, “The recent attacks on minority communities were carried out by the BNP-Jamaat alliance in a planned way,” adding, “Now, Begum Zia is making statements which are contrary to her nature.”
“Begum Zia is hatching conspiracy to create fresh anarchy to topple the legal government taking the advantage of having democracy in the country and holding of her press briefing and issuing statements by her party leaders bears testimony to that,” the minister said.
He put forwarded a question to Begum Zia, how BNP will hold talks with the government as she (Begum Zia) termed it illegal?
against the minority community, must stop. “The two parties (now) can find way forward to restart dialogue soon with intend to have elections as early as possible,” he said.
Gibson in his brief comments also called for immediate steps for dialogue referring to a previous statement by senior foreign office minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi that the election was “called in accordance with Bangladesh’s Constitution” but it returned the Awami League back to power “with over half of Bangladesh’s constituencies uncontested”.
“We therefore urge the new government and all political parties to act in line with the interests of the people of Bangladesh,” he said.
The EU head of delegation William Hanna repeated the EU’s earlier call saying the two major parties must engage in “genuine dialogue” while the European Union today moved a resolution on Bangladesh urging all political parties to refrain from violence and engage in dialogue to resolve the ongoing political crisis. Diplomats and representatives from different missions and agencies, including the European Union, the USA, the UK, Canada, India, China, Russia and Arab nations, were present.
