Reschedule polls: JP to UN envoy

The Jatiya Party has told UN assistant secretary general Oscar Fernandez-Taranco that it wants a 'respectable solution' acceptable to all the political parties to end the deadlock in Bangladesh.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 8 Dec 2013, 05:02 AM
Updated : 8 Dec 2013, 06:12 AM

The HM Ershad led party has pitched for rescheduling the polls to 'allow all parties to join', according to JP Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and presidium member Ghulam Muhammed Quader.

Visiting UN assistant secretary-general Oscar Fernandez-Taranco and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad met at the former military dictator's residence on Sunday.

The UN official reached Ershad's Baridhara residence around 9.30am.

Howlader and Quader assisted Ershad during the meeting.

"We had a fruitful discussion. The discussion covered the overall situation of the country and we have explained our position," Howlader told the media after the meeting.

He said that they have cleared the party's stand on holding an 'inclusive election' during the meeting.

"We want a 'respectable solution' so that the Opposition and the ruling party and everyone else can join the polls," said the JP Secretary General.

Asked what the UN emissary has said at the meeting, Howlader said that he wanted to know about the overall situation of the country.

JP presidium member Ghulam Muhammed Quader told mediapersons that they have mainly pitched for postponing the polls.

"Our main agenda was rescheduling of the elections. It has to be delayed. We want all the political parties to come so that a free, fair and credible poll can be held," said Ershad's brother Quader.

He, however, evaded questions on what Fernandez-Taranco said in the meeting.

The assistant secretary-general for political affairs arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening.

The UN says he will try to 'encourage' political parties to start a dialogue for holding a peaceful and inclusive parliament elections in Bangladesh.

Fernandez-Taranco met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia on Saturday to push his agenda for facilitating a dialogue.

Fernandez-Taranco started off on Saturday at the foreign ministry, where he met the minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali and the secretary Shahidul Haque.

The US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena also had a meeting with the UN chief's envoy.

An Awami League delegation led by its General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam also called on the UN official at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on Saturday.

Fernandez-Taranco had come to Dhaka seven months ago to push the battling political alliances into a dialogue for having a peaceful and inclusive poll.

His second visit to “encourage dialogue” comes at a time when Bangladesh is engulfed by a spiral of violence -- bombings, arson and disruptions -- during Opposition strikes and blockades.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, Neal Walker, in a statement said Fernandez-Taranco would seek to “encourage dialogue and create conditions conducive for parliamentary elections scheduled for 5 January 2014”.

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.

More than 50 people have died in violence during the Opposition backed blockades in the last two weeks.

Taranco is himself experiencing, during his current stay in Dhaka, a 72-hour Opposition blockade that started on Saturday, the day after he arrived.

Ban Ki-moon has personally spoken to both Hasina and Khaleda previously but no solution resulted from the effort.

Ban recently wrote again to Hasina and Khaleda and expressed hope that two warring leaders would move towards ‘all-party’ general elections in January.

Fernandez-Taranco is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Dec 10.