Writ seeks Hasina-Khaleda dialogue
Writ seeks Hasina-Khaleda dialogue
A Supreme Court lawyer today filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directives for a dialogue between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
Eunus Ali Akond also prayed to the court to pass an order upon the home secretary for taking necessary measures to stop the ongoing violence and killing of people through bombings and arson attacks in the name of political movements.
The HC may hear the petition later in the day, Akond told The Daily Star after filing the petition.
In his petition, Akond said innocent people are being killed and injured and their properties damaged due to the arson attacks and bombings during the alliance’s ongoing protest.
And therefore, the people’s constitutional ‘right to life’ is being violated, he said.
The petitioner prayed to the court to issue a rule upon Hasina and Khaleda, chiefs of Awami League-led 14-party combine and BNP-led 20-party alliance respectively, to explain why they should not be directed to sit in a dialogue for this purpose.
Leaders of alliances should hold a dialogue in and outside of the parliament to settle the ongoing political confrontation and for holding the next parliamentary election in a free and fair manner, Akond said.
He urges the court to make Hasina, Khaleda, the chief election commissioner and cabinet home secretaries to make respondents to the proposed rule.
The SC lawyers seek the HC directives on the 17th day of the countrywide nonstop blockade enforced by the 20-party alliance.
On January 5, the BNP-led 20-party alliance called the nonstop blockade in response to Khaleda's confinement in her Gulshan office in Dhaka. However, additional police deployed in front of the office were withdrawn early Monday.
The protests turned violent, with at least 28 people already killed and around 825 injured, mostly in arson attacks.
Meanwhile, the alliance is observing a 48-hour shutdown in Dhaka divisions, including the capital, and Khulna division from 6:00am yesterday, protesting the arrests and “oppression” of its leaders.