As senior leaders of the main opposition BNP continued to press on the government to sit for a dialogue to hold fresh general election under a non-party caretaker administration, senior policymakers of the ruling Awami League (AL) on Friday dismissed possibility of talks with the opposition party.
“There is no possibility of holding dialogue on any issue with those, who celebrate false ‘birthday’ on the August 15 National Mourning Day,” AL Presidium member and Communications Minister Obaidul Quader told a discussion
meeting in the city yesterday.
BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia celebrates her birthday on August 15-the day, on which Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his family members was killed in a military coup. The day is observed as ‘National Mourning Day’ by the government and pro-liberation political forces, including the AL.
Obaidul Quader was addressing a memorial discussion meeting marking the birth anniversary of ‘Bangamata Fazilatunnessa Mujib’ in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi.
Criticising the BNP for celebrating what he called false birthday on August 15, Obaidul Quader asked Begum Zia as to what she and her party would feel if AL starts celebrating birthday of Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina on May 30-the death anniversary of BNP founder late President Ziaur Rahman.
He claimed that Begum Zia used to celebrate her birthday on a different date before her election to the premiership in 1991. “Now the BNP is celebrating Begum Zia’s false birthday only to hurt the AL and millions of its supporters,” the Communications Minister said.
Asking Begum Zia and her party leaders to observe her real birthday instead of the National Mourning Day, Obaidul Quader said, otherwise AL would never sit with BNP for dialogue on any issue.
Addressing a separate programme in the city marking the day, AL Presidium member and Health Minister Mohammad Nasim ruled out any possibility of a substantial mass movement under the leadership Begum Zia and BNP-Jamaat alliance.
Senior leaders of the BNP, including Begum Zia, have been insisting that they would launch a tougher mass movement to ‘force’ the government to concede to its demand for holding a fresh general election under a neutral caretaker administration.
“The BNP and its leaders threat to launch a tougher anti-government movement is nothing but tall talks,” Mohammad Nasim told a memorial discussion meeting on Bangamata Fazilatunnessa Mujib at Bijoynagar in the capital.
Asking Begum Zia and her party leaders to wait till 2019 for the next general elections, Nasim said, “The BNP-Jamaat will have to take part in the next polls to be held under Sheikh Hasina’s government.”
Insisting that the BNP had committed a mistake by not participating in the January 5 general election and would have to suffer for its own mistake, the AL policymaker said that the BNP’s demand for fresh general election was unconstitutional and had no substance.
Meanwhile, AL Joint General Secretary Mohammad Hanif yesterday told journalists that the BNP had now became ‘dependent on media’ and as such it (BNP) has no strength and public support to launch a mass movement.
Hanif said while talking to journalists after the AL leaders placed floral wreaths to the grave of Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib at the Banani graveyard yesterday morning. Senior party leaders, including Agricultural Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury and Obaidul Quader, were present.
