Fakhrul can’t reach Ashraf over phone

BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir says he has telephoned Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam several times in the last two days, but the latter did not receive the calls.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 Nov 2013, 12:23 PM
Updated : 15 Nov 2013, 01:13 PM

Fakhrul told bdnews24.com over the phone on Friday that the Opposition had urged the government to hold talks to resolve crisis over the poll-time government, but it was yet to get any positive response.

Spokespersons of the two major parties had earlier spoken over phone on Oct 22 after their leaders had come out with their versions of a poll-time government.

The BNP spokesperson had also sent a letter to his counterpart requesting him to take an initiative for the talks.

Fakhrul said, “He (Ashraf) had told me that a dialogue could take place between us, but for that he would need an approval from the Prime Minister.

“He had said he would let me know after speaking to her. I had told him to talk to the Prime Minister,” he said.

But since then, Fakhrul said, he had not received any call from Syed Ashraf.

Fakhrul said he had tried to communicate with Ashraf but in vain.

Later on Oct 26, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina telephoned Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia and invited her for talks by withdrawing the shutdown the Opposition had called.

But the Opposition Leader rejected the offer and said she could not hold any dialogue before the shutdown was over.

Fakhrul said, “Our demand is clear, a non-party poll-time government system.”

The BNP leader claimed the demand was now not of his party’s alone, ‘90 percent of the population want the election under a non-party government.’

He said the friendly countries of Bangladesh too wanted to see a non-party government to ensure an acceptable election with the participation of all parties.
Fakhrul alleged that the government lacked sincerity to hold a dialogue to resolve the crisis.
“It appears to me that the government is indifferent to the desire of the majority of the people. They are moving towards their blue print of a unilateral election.”
Police arrested three BNP Standing Committee members and two close aides of the party Chairperson on Nov 8 after the Opposition declared a nationwide 72-hour strike.
Since then Fakhrul did not make any public appearance.
BNP leaders said Fakhurl had been maintaining contacts with party activists from a ‘safe place’.