Editors advise govt to open talks to end political crisis

Print and online media editors in Bangladesh have advised the government to open dialogues to end political turmoil.

Information Minister Hasanaul Huq Inu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu sat with the editors at the information ministry on Sunday.

Editors' Council President and Daily Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar told reporters after the two-hour meeting that they had discussed over the current situation in details.

"We all want peace, not chaos. We are all against the ongoing anarchy and terrorism."

Last Thursday, five ministers sat with owners and representatives of television stations and advised them on running news amid the BNP-led Alliance's non-stop transport blockade across the country.

"We all believe that there should a political solution to this (crisis). The editors proposed opening talks to do that.

"We believe that the country cannot go on like this, there has to be a solution. How long will the people be in such a helpless state?" Sarwar said at a briefing after Sunday's meeting.

The BNP has long been pressing the government for dialogues, but the ruling Awami League says that can only happen if it keeps away from Jamaat-e-Islami and stop killing people by arson and bomb attacks during its blockade.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters that they discussed how the country's situation can be normalised.

"There is no politics or difference of opinion over a prosperous and peaceful country…it's true that a certain atmosphere is needed to open talks, we have discussed that," said the veteran Awami League leader.

He added they had talked over the ongoing violence with the editors.

Neither the editors nor the ministers took any question from the media during the briefing, which lasted for a few minutes.