Obaidul Quader says alliance leaders make excuses to derail election

After talks with the Jatiya Oikya Front, Awami League leader Obaidul Quader said there was no scope for the government to meet the demands that go beyond the constitution.

His comments expose the deep division between the opposition alliance and the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“This is an excuse to delay the election. A third force may come in to create an undesirable situation like 1/11,” Quader said.

Quader briefed the media after the second round of talks between the Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Front and the prime minister at the Ganabhaban on Wednesday to break the political impasse over the upcoming parliament election.  
 
BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and Moudud Ahmed, and ASM Abdur Rab, Abdul Malek Ratan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and SM Akram were among the representatives of the Oikya Front for the talks.
 
The prime minister led an 11-mmeber delegation of the ruling Awami League to the dialogue. Obaidul Quader, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Mohammad Nasim, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Anisul Huq, Dipu Moni and SM Rezaul Karim, among others, represented the Awami League.

Besides, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon and JSD President Hasanul Haq Inu were also present at the dialogue with the prime minister.
 
The Oikya Front delegation held the first round of talks with the ruling Awami League at the same venue on Nov 1. After the talks, the leaders of the Front said they found no solution in talks with Hasina.
 
On Nov 4, the Oikya Front wrote to the prime minister for the second round of talks on a limited scale over its demands.  
 
Soon after its formation, the opposition alliance put forward demands including the release of Khaleda Zia, election under a neutral government dissolving the parliament and reforms to the Election Commission.