DHAKA, 3 May 2006 — Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia blasted main opposition Awami League for spurning talks offer and accused the party of conspiring to disrupt the next elections in 2007.
“Today they don’t like Jamaat-e-Islami, but in 1996 Awami League and Jamaat had joined hands against the then BNP government,” she told a public meeting in northern Tangail district yesterday.
“The logic behind Awami League opposing talks with Jamaat would have been understandable had they not joined hands with Jamaat in the past,” she said. Khaleda said that the opposition having failed to build up an anti-government movement is now demanding reforms. “If reforms are needed, why they did not do anything while they were in power for five years,” she said. The prime minister said a conspiracy was being hatched to create anarchy and Awami League was “involved in it”.
