UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has said the BNP should have responded positively to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to start a dialogue to end the deadlock.
Published : 26 Oct 2013, 11:52 PM
The Opposition should take the offer since only talks can end the current political impasse, the UN envoy who looks after politicial affairs was quoted saying by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to UN AK Abdul Momen on Saturday.
Taranco's reaction comes hours after Hasina called Opposition Leader Khaleda over phone and invited her to join in a dialogue over dinner on Monday.
She also urged the BNP chief to withdraw the three-day general strike starting from Sunday.
But the Opposition Leader has rejected the invitation saying it was not possible to withdraw the shutdown in such short notice. Khaleda, however, kept the hope for talks alive as she said she would respond to any call once the strike ended on Tuesday.