All-party elections
The next general election should be held with the participation of all political parties, said civil society representatives yesterday during a meeting with a UN delegation.
The three-member UN delegation was led by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, who arrived here on Thursday.
Civil society representatives TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Director of Institute of Governance Studies of BRAC University Dr Rizwan Khair and eminent jurist and the university's Director of School of Law Dr Shahdeen Malik attended the meeting.
Held at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, the meeting was the first international mission in Bangladesh to hold discussions on the next general election.
The civil society members emphasized that there should be dialogues between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia to reach a consensus on the election method.
The delegation members wanted to know about the latest political situation, pre-election perspectives, the role of the Election Commission, an interim arrangement ahead of the election, meeting sources said. The members also discussed how the next general election can be held in a free, fair and impartial manner.
Civil society members said that the Election Commission must work with courage and it must be empowered so that it can make the administration neutral during the election.
Emerging from the meeting, Dr Iftekharuzzaman told reporters that the civil society wants the next general election to be acceptable and want the participation of all concerned.
MEETING KHALEDA ZIA
Meanwhile, the UN delegation yesterday held a meeting with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office at 6:15pm.
During the meeting that lasted over an hour, they discussed the country's political situation, the next general election, the caretaker government system and the international crimes tribunals, meeting sources said.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, chairperson's advisers Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed and party Vice-Chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury were present at the meeting.
"The next general election was discussed at the meeting," Shamser told reporters after the meeting. However, he did not make any more comments.
None from the BNP or the delegation briefed the media on the meeting.
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