Biswal to Raushon: When's the next election?

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal has enquired with Opposition Leader Raushon Ershad about Bangladesh's next general elections.

Friday’s half-hour meeting started at Ershad's Gulshan residence around 5:10pm.

US Ambassador Dan Mozena, top Jatiya Party leaders including Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury and Ershad's Political Secretary Golam Masih were present at the meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Chowdhury said they had told Biswal that Bangladesh would have plunged into chaos had the Jan 5 election not taken place.

"The election was essential to lead the country towards peace," he said.

Asked about Biswal's reaction on the matter, he said they only listened.

"They asked us when the next election will be held. We told them that it would be organised at the right time as per law," Chowdhury added.

Several Western nations, including the US, have been pushing for an "all-inclusive polls" as the BNP-led alliance boycotted the Jan 5 polls.

Biswal came to Dhaka last November before the polls and tried to get the political parties to start a dialogue over the nature of election-time dispensation.

Asked about the senior US official's position on the previous election, Chowdhury said, "We didn't see anything negative in them about the election.

"They've taken everything positively."