EC will invite BNP allies to dialogue too

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) deems the election commission’s (EC) fresh invitation for dialogue through a letter as ‘new strategy of the government and EC’. The commission, however, decided to invite the alliances and parties that have been launching simultaneous movement with the BNP for dialogues. The EC officials said letters would be issued to these parties within a day or two.

The EC is also planning to hold cluster dialogues with ruling Awami League, other political parties and stakeholders over the election. There is a discussion among the opposition parties as to whether the EC is launching yet another futile process of dialogue or it is a new strategy. Also, it is being asked if the EC has taken the decision to offset pressure from the diplomats of the US and other western countries.

After the EC invited BNP to talks on 23 March, the party’s scretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir refused the proposal the following day. Speaking at a discussion on Saturday, Fakhrul said, the government letter is part of strategy to hold yet another election likes of 2014 and 2018. The party’s highest decision making body standing committee will discuss the issue at a meeting today. The party’s leaders said they would reply the letter as per decision taken in the meeting.

Although BNP’s response was lukewarm, all the allies are not against holding talks with EC. Rather, some of the parties have been showing their interest to participate in talks. BNP thinks EC has taken a strategy to keep the party under pressure by inviting its allies.

Although election commissioner Md Anisur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the commission has not hidden strategy behind the initiative. The commission wants to hold talks with BNP with a view to know its stance on the next general election as it is one of the biggest political parties of the country. The EC also deems necessary to know the position of the allies of BNP and that’s why these parties and alliances would be invited separately.

He said these parties can take part in the talks separately or in cluster with alliance partners. Even they can hold talks with the EC unofficially as the commission wants to keep all doors open.

Ganatantra Mancha’s leaders Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Ganasanghati Andolon’s chief coordinator Zonayed Saki think the EC is talking of dialogues at the behest of the government in the face of pressure from western countries. They think the government and EC want to create an impression that BNP has been invited to talks repeatedly but refused to participate as the party is not willing to settle the problems through discussion.

Some political parties, however, do not seem to be against participating in talks although they reaffirm their position for the demand of holding election under a non-partisan government and stance against the EC.

Nagorik Oikya’s president Mahmudur Rahman Manna told Prothom Alo, “EC is not proposing talks with any specific agenda. We would take decision after discussion if the EC comes up with any agenda.”

Zonayed Saki also echoed the same stance. He told Prothom Alo that his party would take decision upon discussing the matter in internal forum if EC invites.

Gana Adhikar Parishad is one of the component of Ganatantra Mancha. The party’s member secretary Nurul Haque, however, views the EC’s initiative positively.

He told Prothom Alo that issues of neutral polls time government and their stance of the EC should be discussed by participating in the talks.

Many BNP leaders think the EC might even invite some unregistered political parties that are part of the ongoing simultaneous movement to keep BNP under pressure. BNP would take decision about the EC’s letter considering such issues. It was known that the senior BNP leaders are still against sitting with the EC.

Awami League does not think EC’s decision is a part of any ‘fresh strategy of the government’. The ruling party’s joint general secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif told Prothom Alo that the commission took the initiative at their own to hold a free and fair election.

Election commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said there is no pressure on the commission from either foreign diplomats or the government. The EC invited BNP for talks out of their own discretion to hold a free and fair election.

He continued that even if BNP does not join the dialogue this time, EC will keep trying till the general election.

AL and BNP both are not willing to budge in the issue of polls time government. EC has no jurisdiction to do anything in this issue. This is the reason BNP leaders think holding dialogues with the EC ‘pointless’.

EC held dialogues with registered political parties in last year. A total of 27 out of 39 registered parties took part in the dialogues while 12 parties including BNP did not.

Whatever the political crisis is, the trust issue between BNP and allies with the EC lingers. EC has so far failed to win the trust of opposition parties. Most of the by-elections and local government elections conducted by this commission in over one year are largely questionable.

By-election to five parliamentary constituencies vacated due to resignation of BNP lawmakers were held on 1 February. These by-polls were questionable and low voter turnout was evident. Awami League and the government openly worked for ex-BNP lawmaker Ukil Abdus Sattar in Brahmanbaria-2 by polls. Sattar resigned from the parliament as per BNP’s decision but later contested in the by-polls as independent candidate. A contestant of the by-polls was ‘missing’ before polls. EC could not take any effective role in that election. A discussion is raging in the political field that if the next election would be held following ‘Ukil Abdus Sattar model’.

BNP sticks to its stance of lack of trust on the current EC on account of these issues.

Mirza Fakhrul told Prothom Alo that the commission can do nothing going beyond the government and that why they think the latest invitation of the EC a part of a new trick from the government and EC.