The ruling Awami League (AL) says the BNP must stop killing people in the name of its demonstration before a dialogue can take place with it.
Published : 14 Mar 2015, 01:19 PM
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam made the term clear at a media conference on Saturday in Dhaka, a day after BNP chief Khaleda Zia renewed her demand for talks.
Khaleda’s party, which boycotted the 2014 general elections, has been enforcing an indefinite blockade since Jan 5.
More than 100 people have been killed, mostly in firebombing, since then.
“No country in the world held talks with terrorists,” Ashraf said, likening the BNP’s demonstrations to acts of terrorism.
“A dialogue may take place if they (the BNP) stop killing people,” he said.
The Awami League leader asserted that talks could only take place in a peaceful environment.
Khaleda, addressing the media on Friday, reiterated her demand for a dialogue over an interim election under a non-party government.
But Ashraf warned Khaleda saying, “If you hold the people hostage and demand an election, it will never be met.”
He claimed the BNP chief had “lied” in her Friday’s media conference.
“She wouldn’t have killed so many people if she really wanted peace and democracy,” he stated, adding that Khaleda was only after power.
Ashraf snubbed the BNP’s demand for a snap election saying the party had made a mistake by sitting out the last polls.
“The next election would take place on time,” he said.
The minister said talks with terrorists could not usher peace.
“No government can hold dialogues with these killers. We, too, have decided that holding talks with them will only be encouraging them.
“The only path is to declare war on them,” Ashraf added.