'International conspiracy to foil polls'

The Awami League will not accept any attempt to hold the parliament polls without Sheikh Hasina as head of the government, said the party's presidium member Mohammad Nasim.

"National and international conspiracies are on to foil the Jan 5 polls," he told reporters on Tuesday after paying tributes to the Liberation War martyrs at the capital's Suhrawardy Uddyan memorial.

He said that the Awami League may take 'help and advice' to end the crisis, but will not 'take orders' from anyone.

"Awami League is not the party which gives in to anyone. Polls, without Sheikh Hasina (as the head of the government), is out of question. The Awami League will not accept it," said Nasim.

File Photo

The senior AL leader's comments come amid UN assistant secretary-general Oscar Fernandez-Taranco's ongoing efforts to broker peace between the battling political alliances.

The UN official held two rounds of meeting with the leaders of the ruling party since his arrival in Dhaka on Friday. He also had two meetings with Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia and other BNP leaders.

Fernandez-Taranco also had meetings with Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami and the Chief Election Commissioner during his second visit to Dhaka in this year.

Ershad, after his U-turn this week, told the BBC on Sunday that he thinks the BNP might participate in the elections if Hasina steps down as the Premier.

The ruling and opposition leaders, however, have been tight-lipped over the developments even after holding two rounds of talks with UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco.