Gana Forum chief Dr Kamal Hossain has met JSD leader ASM Abdur Rob and Nagarik Oikya's Mahmudur Rahman Manna.
Published : 04 Jan 2015, 10:35 PM
They have been trying to form a third political alliance outside the two dominant ones, one led by the ruling Awami League and the other by the BNP.
The trio met at Hossain's Bailey Road home on Sunday night amid heightened tensions over the Awami League and BNP's parallel programmes on the first anniversary of the last national election on Monday.
Journalists thronged his house on learning about the meeting.
Ganaforum chief Hossain said they had talked about ways to ‘integrate’ democracy in Bangladesh.
"There's no way out other than a meaningful dialogue and unity between the two parties," the former Awami League leader said.
Nagarik Oikya's Manna is a former office secretary of the Awami League. Rob, a former DUCSU vice president, was a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader before independence. He currently heads the Jatiyatabadi Samajtantrik Dal.
They are trying to persuade Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Krishak Sramik Janata League to join them.
Police did not allow former president and Bikalpadhara chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury to meet BNP chief Khaleda who had been apparently confined to her Gulshan office since Saturday night.
Hossain said all political parties in a multi-party democracy should be respectful to each other.
"The people of this country want peace and an end to crisis," he said. "The two parties (Awami League and BNP) have to show tolerance."