UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has called on Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia, after meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Published : 07 Dec 2013, 06:55 PM
The meeting started at 7pm on Saturday at the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan residence in Dhaka.
The main opposition party’s Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Khaleda's advisors Riaz Rahman and Sabih Uddin Ahmed were present at the meeting.
The UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs was accompanied by UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, Neal Walker and several other officials.
The four-day visit of Fernandez-Taranco is viewed as a last-ditch effort to broker talks with ruling Awami League and the Opposition BNP to end the political crisis over the Jan 5 national elections.
He arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening, in what the UN said, to encourage political parties for a dialogue to hold the Jan 5 parliamentary elections.
Earlier on Saturday, he met the Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque.
Ministry officials said the UN envoy stressed on holding inclusive elections.
Then Fernandez-Taranco met senior Awami League leaders at the Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon.
Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam led a seven-member delegation to meet him.
The delegation included Awami League’s Advisory Council members Tofail Ahmed, Amir Hossain Amu and Gowher Rizvi, Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif, International Affairs Secretary Faruk Khan and former diplomat Shahed Reza.
Fernandez-Taranco had come to Dhaka in his first visit seven months earlier. He had pitched for an immediate dialogue among political parties to find a solution to the crisis and insisted home-grown solutions.
His second visit to “encourage dialogue” comes at a time when Bangladesh is witnessing an eruption of violence, particularly bomb and arson attacks during the programmes of the agitating Opposition.
During his earlier visit in May this year, the UN official handed Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's letters to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia.
Political tension escalated with the approaching election.
Over 50 people died in violence during the Opposition backed blockade in the last two weeks. A similar 72-hour blockade has started from Saturday 6am.
Earlier, Ban Ki-Moon also personally spoken to the two top leaders but a solution remained elusive.
Ban recently wrote again to Hasina and Khaleda and expressed hope that two warring leaders would move towards ‘all-party’ general elections in January.