BNP invited for discussion, not dialogue: CEC

Staff Correspondent: Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was not invited to any dialogue; rather the party has been invited for a discussion, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal. The CEC was addressing a press conference at the election commission office in Agargaon, Dhaka yesterday.
“BNP has not been invited to any dialogue; rather the party has been invited for an informal meeting.
Inviting BNP is not any intriguing plot of the government; the government has no involvement with that. If there’s any intriguing plot, it could be of the election commission, not of the government. The letter was not sent at the consultation of the government. The EC has not sent the letter out of any ill strategy,” said the CEC.
Kazi Hahibul Awal further said, “The main point is, we have not convened any dialogue. A dialogue is a formal matter. In no way we have invited them to any dialogue. We clearly said if not formal, formal means dialogue; you could join us in an informal discussion. We made this invitation very humbly.”
He said, “(This briefing) is just to remind that if there is any misunderstanding, let’s hope that will be resolved. A letter has been issued from the commission. Not at the advice of the government. We feel sorry, when it is said that we carry government’s order, we never did that. We held discussion and it reflected in our thought – it would be better if we can convince a party like BNP to compete in the polls.”
Even if there’s any strategy, CEC expressed his eagerness to hold discussion with BNP. “We said the election commission will not have any say if you (BNP) have any strategy. Still we want to hold discussion with you. The result could be positive, it may not be. We must try. There should not be any bar to make an effort.” Election commissioner Md. Ahsan Habib Khan, Md. Alamgir, Rasheda Sultana and Anisur Rahman were present at the time.