Ban stresses political reconciliation
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has regretted the failure of Bangladesh's political parties to reach an agreement on an inclusive parliamentary election in January.
At a meeting with President Abdul Hamid at UN headquarters on Thursday, the UN chief stressed the need for engaging the “extra-parliamentary opposition” in social and political reconciliation.
The secretariat of the UN chief and the UN office in Dhaka said this in a statement yesterday.
The two leaders discussed Bangladesh's achievements in disaster risk reduction, lowering mortality rates and reducing extreme poverty.
Ban Ki-moon thanked the president for Bangladesh's contributions to UN peacekeeping operations.
President Hamid informed the UN official that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would join the Climate Summit in September.
'PRESIDENT BETRAYED NATION'
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that President Abdul Hamid had “betrayed the nation” through his remarks about the January 5 parliamentary polls during a recent meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, reports UNB.
“People's hopes and aspirations have been dashed by the president's talks with the UN secretary general on the election and dialogue. The fact is that people want an acceptable election immediately,” he told a political workshop organised by the party at a city hotel.
People, he said, had expected that the president would perform duties for the country and its people through rising above party interests.
At the meeting with Ban Ki-moon, the president said, “People have accepted the election results and they're looking forward to a better future.”
Later in the day, speaking at a discussion organised by Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad at the Jatiya Press Club, Fakhrul said Abdul Hamid had been regarded as a better politician among the Awami League leaders. “When a man takes the oath of office as president, he takes the oath of neutrality.”
“Where have you [Hamid] seen that the elections have been acceptable? The people of the whole country boycotted the polls,” mentioned the BNP leader.
About the writ petition with the High Court on the lawmakers elected uncontested, Fakhrul said there is no relation between politics and the legal move. “We want a political solution to the political issue. If everything is done according to court orders, Sheikh Hasina cannot be the prime minister as a court had termed her a wrongheaded person.”
It is to be noted that on Thursday, the HC declared valid Section 19 of the Representation of the People Order that empowers an eligible single candidate to be elected MP unopposed.
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