BNP asks AL to apologise to nation for rigging polls

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has asked his Awami League counterpart Obaidul Quader to seek apology to the nation through a public meeting 'at any stadium' for ‘stealing votes’.

Fakhrul made the suggestion on Tuesday while speaking with journalists after visiting a party leader in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, who was attacked by miscreants allegedly for campaigning for the BNP during the elections.

The BNP leader reiterated his position that they will go for dialogue with the AL only if the cancellation of 11th national parliament is made an agenda of dialogue.

Otherwise, Fakhrul said, the BNP and the opposition coalition of Jatiya Oikya Front would not join any such talks.

AL general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said prime minister Sheikh Hasina would once again hold talks with the political parties that were invited to the dialogue before the 11th general election. Quader soon on Monday changed his version of statement, claiming that the prime minister would invite them to exchange of greetings at the Ganabhaban.

Premier and AL presdient Sheikh Hasina had earlier held talks with leaders of as many as 75 political parties including the Jatiya Oikya Front led by Kamal Hossain and Jukta Front of former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury before the 30 December elections.

Oikya Front leaders, on many occasions later termed the dialogue fruitless as they complained that the assurance from the prime minister, including for stopping harassment or arrest of any opposition leaders and activists, was not translated into reality.

Fakhrul on Monday turned down the dialogue offer, however, saying that they might consider joining the dialogue should the cancellation of the election results and dissolution of parliament is made an agenda.