Release of two top leaders to be discussed in formal talks

The issue of release of the former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia will come up during the formal dialogue between the caretaker government and the political parties, LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said yesterday.
“It (the issue of the two ex-PMs' release) will be on the agenda (of formal dialogue), though it is not being discussed in the pre-dialogue talks,” he told reporters while replying to a query at the Secretariat.
At the moment, however, the advisers are working to set the modality of the formal dialogue, not the agenda, Anwarul said. “We're now working to build trust for the dialogue.”
Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader, meanwhile, observed that the political parties' demand to free their leaders would not hamper the dialogue.
“Our talks are not being hampered. We can see the result,” he told reporters.
The government is receiving feedback from the political parties, the communications adviser said, expressing hope that the dialogue would be successful.
Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman also said that they are so far successful in their mission to prepare the grounds for the formal dialogue.
“We will sit with some more parties tomorrow, our discussion is about to end,” he said.
The three advisers spoke with reporters separately at the Secretariat.
The government has so far held informal talks with the Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party (Ershad) and Saifur Rahman-led faction of the BNP.
The BNP faction led by secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain is yet to sit with the government for the pre-dialogue talks.