B’desh PM rules out dialogue with Zia
15 March 2015 11:13 PM GMT
Hasina dubbed the BNP chief a “murderer” and “leader of the militants” and asked her to surrender before a Dhaka court which last month issued a warrant ordering her arrest in two graft cases. “What is there to talk about with her?” she said.
“Khaleda (Zia) did not get the support from the West (western countries) as well as the North (a reference to the army) and that is why she is burning people from her rage,” Hasina said. Hasina’s comments came a day after Zia demanded she take immediate steps to hold a dialogue for a “fair and inclusive election” dissolving the existing parliament with a “puppet opposition” as soon as possible to resolve the crisis saying “the key to the solution now lies in the government’s hands”.
“The movement will continue until a logical consequence. I urge all to accept the trouble in the greater national interest,” the ex-premier said in her second such public appearance since the beginning of the unrest coinciding with the first anniversary of last year’s elections which BNP boycotted alleging it lacked “level playing field”.
But the premier on Saturday advised Zia to surrender before a Dhaka court which last month issued a warrant ordering her arrest for deliberate and repeated non-appearance to stand trial for two graft charges. “Otherwise, the government will be compelled to execute the court’s order,” the premier said.
But Hasina-led Awami League, meanwhile, said the dialogue could be held only if “she (Zia) stopped killing people, holding back her terrorist forces” as it called a press conference in response to Zia media briefing. The BNP-led 20-party opposition alliance with fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Isami as a major partner launched a non-stop nationwide transport blockade on January 6 with frequent arson attacks on buses and trucks that have killed at least 121 people.
Meanwhile, BNP overnight called a fresh 72 hours nationwide strike from on Sunday issuing a statement hours after Zia’s media briefing, protesting against the “arrest” of one of the party’s leaders Salahuddin Ahmed three days ago by plainclothesmen.
“Khaleda (Zia) did not get the support from the West (western countries) as well as the North (a reference to the army) and that is why she is burning people from her rage,” Hasina said. Hasina’s comments came a day after Zia demanded she take immediate steps to hold a dialogue for a “fair and inclusive election” dissolving the existing parliament with a “puppet opposition” as soon as possible to resolve the crisis saying “the key to the solution now lies in the government’s hands”.
“The movement will continue until a logical consequence. I urge all to accept the trouble in the greater national interest,” the ex-premier said in her second such public appearance since the beginning of the unrest coinciding with the first anniversary of last year’s elections which BNP boycotted alleging it lacked “level playing field”.
But the premier on Saturday advised Zia to surrender before a Dhaka court which last month issued a warrant ordering her arrest for deliberate and repeated non-appearance to stand trial for two graft charges. “Otherwise, the government will be compelled to execute the court’s order,” the premier said.
But Hasina-led Awami League, meanwhile, said the dialogue could be held only if “she (Zia) stopped killing people, holding back her terrorist forces” as it called a press conference in response to Zia media briefing. The BNP-led 20-party opposition alliance with fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Isami as a major partner launched a non-stop nationwide transport blockade on January 6 with frequent arson attacks on buses and trucks that have killed at least 121 people.
Meanwhile, BNP overnight called a fresh 72 hours nationwide strike from on Sunday issuing a statement hours after Zia’s media briefing, protesting against the “arrest” of one of the party’s leaders Salahuddin Ahmed three days ago by plainclothesmen.
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