With the government high-ups having decided not to sit in a dialogue without Jamaat-e-Islami, the ruling BNP yesterday in a letter asked the Awami League (AL) not to interfere in nomination of its representatives in the proposed committee.
"We do not have any say about who will participate in the dialogue on your part and it will not be appropriate to impose your opinion about who will participate from our part," BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said in the letter to the AL general secretary.
The BNP for the third time sought the names of opposition members to constitute the proposed committee to discuss the electoral reforms.
A meeting of the 14-party opposition combine last night decided not to sit in a dialogue with the anti-Liberation War forces and war criminals.
The meeting held after consulting with Hasina and chaired by AL Presidium member Tofail Ahmed decided to hold another meeting on 15 April and send a letter to the BNP giving the names of five AL leaders for the dialogue.
The AL leaders hoped that the BNP will also nominate its five leaders--trusted by its alliance partners--for the dialogue.
Earlier, referring to the April 6 letter of AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil that labelled Jamaat as "communal" and patron of militancy, Bhuiyan in his letter said those remarks are "irrelevant" to the discussion.
The 14-party in its letter had suggested constituting the proposed committee with the BNP and AL leaders and leaving Jamaat.
On Jamaat's representation in the proposed committee, AL Acting General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said, "Our stance is clear...We are always against the forces of communalism and militancy."
The ruling BNP and Jamaat high-ups at a meeting on Monday with the prime minister decided that the BNP will not sit in a dialogue with the opposition over the reform proposals without Jamaat, a major partner of the ruling alliance.
The rigidity of both the parties on the planned dialogue on reforms in the caretaker government system and Election Commission has now rendered the dialogue itself uncertain.
Before sending the letter yesterday, Bhuiyan called Obaidul Quader over telephone and inquired about the health of Abdul Jalil, who is now in Singapore for treatment.
BNP's Office Secretary Mofiqul Hasan Tripti and Assistant Publicity Secretary Ahmed Musa handed over the letter to Quader at AL President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office at 3:00pm.
At a press briefing at his residence Bhuiyan said he expects that the 14-party will respond to his letter and send names of their members soon. "Then we will start the discussion. We want to start the dialogue with an open mind," Bhuiyan told journalists.


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