Dialogue with opposition only if Biden sits with Trump: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said she will hold talks with the opposition only if the US President Joe Biden sits for a dialogue with former US president Donald Trump.

"Is [US President] Biden holding dialogue with Mr Trump? If Biden sits with Trump for dialogue, then I will hold the dialogue [with opposition]," she told a press conference regarding US Ambassador's call to hold dialogue with opposition.

Following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas expressed hoped that all sides going forward will engage in a "dialogue" without preconditions to de-escalate tensions and find a path forward to a free, fair, and peaceful election.

Meanwhile, the prime minister has reiterated that the people of Bangladesh do not want any dialogue with the killers.

"No dialogue with the killers. This is Bangladesh. People of the country also do not want any dialogue with killers," she told the press conference.

Election will be held and it will be held on time, she added.

"They won't be able to stop the election in such a way ... They couldn't stop the elections in 2013 and 2018. This time too they won't be able to do so. The election will be held on time," she said.

Hasina accused BNP of wanting to create unrest ahead of the national election.

"BNP is a terrorist party, as a terrorist party they need to get a good lesson," she said during the press conference.

She said those who burn buses will be identified, arrested and punished. "I think the hands they use to set a bus on fire should be burned immediately. If so, they will get a lesson or else not," she said replying to a question from a journalist.

The PM hoped that the BNP would stop the violence.

"If they don't stop, they will face the consequences for it," she said.

'No change in cabinet during election'

About the election-time government, Hasina said the full cabinet will do only routine work during the next election.

"We'll follow the system that was followed in 2018," she said, adding that the ministers will do only the routine work after the announcement of the election schedule as per the RPO.

She said the ministers can't enjoy the government's facilities after the announcement of the election schedule and the submission of nomination papers as per the RPO. "They will have to seek votes just as a candidate," she said.

She said Bangladesh will follow the election-time system that is followed by Australia, Canada, India, and England.