AL, BNP to reply to UN chief's letters

The Awami League and the BNP have decided to reply to the UN secretary general's letters calling for dialogue. While the AL is to decline the suggestion for talks, the BNP would say its agitation would continue unless there was meaningful dialogue.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, urging them to engage in constructive dialogue to peacefully resolve the current political crisis.

The ruling party believes it would have to promise fresh elections if it had to sit for dialogue with the BNP. “Going for early elections would definitely be suicidal for the party and thus there is no way to sit for dialogue,” said a top AL policymaker.

AL presidium member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin told The Daily Star there was no scope for talks with the BNP as the party had resorted to terrorist activities. “Will the UN hold talks with the terrorists who are killing people in Jordan and Syria?” he asked.

The BNP said the party was ready to sit for dialogue and hoped that the UN would initiate meaningful talks. But its leaders said that they would continue with their hartals and blockade until a dialogue started and the government committed itself to ending the political crisis.

BNP Chairperson's Adviser Osman Faruq, now in the US, yesterday told The Daily Star over the telephone, that BNP would welcome and cooperate with any UN initiative to end the crisis peacefully.

He said he was waiting to see the UN chief's next course of action.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the government was preparing to reply to the UN secretary general.

AL leaders said Hasina in her reply might describe the arson attacks, violence, and the killing of people, which started early last month.

BNP leaders said Khaleda would describe the “government's repression” and the “killing of its activists in crossfire”, indiscriminate arrests of its activists and gagging of its voice.

Earlier, UN Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary General Farhan Haq told The Daily Star that the secretary general has recently sent letters to the two leaders and that UN secretary general's special envoy Oscar Taranco was acting on his behalf.

“He [Taranco] has been tasked by the secretary general to be in contact with the government and the opposition and he would continue with those efforts. But, at this point, like I said, there's no travel to announce,” Farhan said on Tuesday in New York.

A BNP insider claimed that Taranco had called Khaleda Zia over the phone last week.

BAN'S LETTER

Ban in his letter regretted the violence that erupted during the ongoing blockade and hartals and resulted in many deaths and injuries of innocent citizens.

He requested the two leaders to cooperate with Taranco who had been tasked to be in contact with the government and the opposition.

Diplomatic sources said the UN chief requested the prime minister to hold dialogue with the opposition leader now outside the parliament.

In his letter to Khaleda, Ban stressed the need for ending the violence and solving the problems peacefully through dialogue.

The sources said Ban in his letters lauded Bangladesh's contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions and said the performance of Bangladeshi peacekeepers was exemplary.

The UN chief said Bangladesh has made significant progress in overcoming the challenges and has built a thriving economy and made important gains towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said the UN remains strongly committed to its partnership with Bangladesh in the common pursuit of peace, prosperity and respect for human rights. He also looks forward to deepening already close and constructive ties.

Ban had also written letters to Hasina and Khaleda in May and November of 2013 when the country saw violence over the last elections.

US Secretary of State John Kerry had also written to AL and BNP chiefs in September 2013 requesting them to hold constructive dialogue.