Solution must come from AL, BNP: UN official
UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Neal Walker today said leaders of the two main political parties -- Awami League and BNP -- can agree on conditions that would create way for free and fair elections, asserting that no outsiders can do it.
“My view is that the solution must come from Bangladesh, mainly from two political leaders. This really depends on the will of both sides… there’re no outsiders and the UN never pretended to do that,” Walker said.
He said it is important to say that “solution to democratic evolution in Bangladesh can only be formulated and implemented by Bangladeshis.”
Asked if the UN, after being failed in its first mission last December, would take the second initiative to bring the conflicting parties to the table, he told diplomatic correspondents here that the UN Secretary-General remains very open to continuing his good offices but ‘it really depends on will of both sides.’
Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DCAB) arranged the ‘DCAB Talk’ at the Jatiya Press Club with its President Mainul Alam in the chair. DCAB General Secretary Angur Nahar Monty was also present.
UN Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández-Taranco came to Dhaka in December last year as emissary of UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon to broker a deal between Awami League and BNP to find a solution.
Taranco facilitated three rounds of talks during his stay in Dhaka from December 6-11 but failed to hammer out any solution before the January 5 general elections.
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