Election dialogue only with BNP minus Jamaat

The ruling Awami League is ready to talk with the BNP over holding the next election in a free, fair and credible manner only if the main opposition severs relations with the war criminals and Jamaat-e-Islami, State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam said yesterday.
He said no solution would come through hartal or violence. “Everything can be resolved through talks,” he said and urged the opposition to join the parliament and sit in dialogue. “Dialogue is not possible in any circumstances if the BNP does not sever relations with the war criminals and Jamaat-Shibir.”
He made the comments at a rally in front of the AL Central Office on the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue, organised to protest the opposition alliance's 36-hour countrywide hartal, which ended yesterday.
The junior minister said actions would be taken against those news media, which had instigated religious sentiment of the people, resulting in countrywide violence.
Qamrul said a probe was going on against those who resorted to mayhem recently and instigated religious sentiment. “Action is being delayed as the investigation is under way,” he added.
At a Jubo League rally in Pallabi, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said action would be taken against the Bangla daily Amar Desh and its editor Mahmudur Rahman for what he said conspiring against the country.
Referring to threats by Rahman that he would sue Hanif for his comments on the distribution of Tk 85 crore for Hefajat-e Islam's April 6 long march and rally involving his name, the AL leader said, “See, what action the state takes against you [Mahmudur].”
Hanif said the BNP and its key ally Jamaat had plotted to overthrow the government through Hefajat's April 6 long march and rally in Dhaka. “As intelligence agencies had this information, they (Jamaat and BNP) could not succeed.”