BNP initiates formal dialogue with political parties

BNP’s planned dialogue with the opposition political parties began today (Tuesday) to work out the outline for launching a united movement to 'restore' democracy and people’s voting rights.

On the first day, a BNP delegation, led by party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, sat in talks with Nagorik Oikya at 5 pm at its Topkhana Road office.

Earlier in the day, Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced to start the dialogue at a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.

The BNP leader said their party’s standing committee took the decision at its virtual meeting on Monday night.

“Our standing committee meeting decided to formally start dialogue with the political parties with the aim of forging a movement for the restoration of democracy. We’re initiating the talks today (Tuesday), Fakhrul said.

He said they will talk to the political parties and finalise the outline of a united movement through the discussions.

The BNP leader said they will sit with other opposition parties gradually after today’s meeting with Nagorik Oikya.

Replying to a question, he said BNP will not hold dialogue with just its alliance partners but also with all other political parties.

Asked whether they will hold a discussion with Jamaat-e-Islami, Fakhrul said they want to talk to every party, including Jamaat.

Replying to another question about the existence of the 20-party alliance, he said they still did not abolish the 20-party alliance. “We’ll finalise the future course of the alliance e through the talks.”

“The main objectives of the talks are to restore democracy and voting and other rights of people that the fascist government has snatched and to revive the economy and all the institutions of the country those have been destroyed by this regime,” the BNP leader said.