UN chief writes to Hasina, Khaleda, urges for talks

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her rival BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to sit for talks to end political violence.

The UN secretary-general’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Ban sent letters to the chiefs of the main political parties, urging them to overcome the crisis through talks.

Haq, however, did not disclose what else the UN secretary-general wrote in the letters.

However a source from the Bangladeshi mission at the UN told bdnews24.com that recently Ban had praised the prime minister’s leadership in the progress and development Bangladesh has made.

He had expressed concern over the current political unrest and urged its halt to keep up the pace of progress.

The letter also says that, to resolve the political turmoil by sitting for a dialogue, Bangladesh could seek help of the Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernández-Taranco.

In 2013, ahead of the 10th parliamentary election, the UN chief had asked the leaders of the two major parties to sit for talks when Bangladesh was in the grips of a similar political instability.

He had also called the leaders over the telephone in August 2013.

Taranco had visited Dhaka twice and requested the two parties to sit for dialogue to thrash out their differences.

Despite Ban’s letter, the two major leaders failed to sit across the table and Awami League came into power on Jan 5, 2014, after the BNP boycotted the election.

After a peaceful year since the poll, on the anniversary of the election BNP-led coalition launched fresh movements that plunged the country again into a fresh crisis.

Failing to hold a rally on Jan 5, the BNP chief called a non-stop transport blockade and frequent shutdowns marked by arson, fire-bombing and vandalism.

According to a government statement, at least 55 people have died and 556 people have been injured in violent acts of sabotage during the blockade.

About 664 vehicles have been burned, 410 vehicles vandalised and 28 establishments have been damaged, including 25 railway sabotage and six waterway sabotage.

Khaleda is being seen as the instigator of violence and cases have been filed against her.

However, the BNP has accused the ruling Awami League of staging the acts of violence.

On Wednesday, at the UN headquarters, Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric expressed concern about the violence and the loss of life that have been occurring in Bangladesh.

Assistant Secretary General in charge of Political Affairs Taranco has been tasked by the secretary general to liaise with Bangladesh government.