DHAKA, 15 May 2008 — Dealing a major blow to the caretaker government’s bid to bring political parties to the negotiating table, the Awami League yesterday decided not to participate in the government-sponsored talks without its president, Hasina Wajed, who is now in jail. The talks are to begin in Dhaka on May 22.
The Awami League working committee also announced plans for hunger strike on May 20 to press for Hasina’s release.
The interim government has invited political parties for talks on elections planned for December, while pressing on with the prosecution of the two detained former prime ministers.
Supporters of ex-prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Hasina have been demanding their release ahead of the polls, but the army-backed interim administration has said the law will take its own course and that the conduct of elections was not linked with the trials of the leaders.
“We have started inviting party leaders,” Fahim Munaim, chief spokesman for leader of the interim administration Fakhruddin Ahmad said. The talks will cover election details, preparations and security concerns, officials said.
Hasina’s Awami League and Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party — the nation’s two main parties — say talks with the government and the election commission on the elections were pointless without the participation of their leaders.
But leaders of smaller groups said they will attend the talks. “Otherwise the country is likely to plunge into a worse crisis than it faced before,” said Ferdous Ahmed Koraishy of the Progressive Democratic Party.
— With input from agencies
