BNP never negotiated in good faith: FM

The Foreign Minister has said the BNP “never negotiated in good faith” to go to the general election.

Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali told diplomats from European Union countries in Dhaka on Monday that the main opposition party insisted on “certain pre-conditions” and lacked sincerity.

He said although the BNP had been agitating in the name of democracy, it lacked ground-level preparation and was not ready to take part in the election.

He also alleged that the Opposition never acted as “a responsible partner”.

Instead, it blamed the government for the "open terrorist acts it committed”.

File Photo

The BNP is boycotting the polls in protest against the multi-party government installed by the ruling Awami League to overseeing the Jan 5 elections.

It has been at loggerheads with the Awami League for quite a while over the nature of the poll-time government.

The minister met the diplomats to brief them on Bangladesh’s current political situation with the election due on Jan 5.

High Commissioners and Chargé d'affaires of the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Denmark, countries that have missions in Dhaka, joined the briefing.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on International Affairs Gowher Rizvi and Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque were also present.

The minister assured the diplomats that all steps were being taken to ensure their safety during the volatile election-time situation.

He started briefing diplomats in phases from Dec 23 after the US, EU and Commonwealth nations refused to send observers to the polls, saying they were not inclusive and credible.

He already briefed envoys of South Asian and South-east Asian countries, those from OIC nations, US, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Norway, the Vatican, and the UN Resident Coordinator.

The minister also pledged to resist any attempt to stop people from exercising their franchise in the balloting.