BNP faction for post-polls code of conduct for political parties
Courtesy New Age 16/4/08
The government-backed faction of the BNP on Tuesday asked the government to formulate a code of conduct for political parties to bring about a ‘qualitative change’ in the existing political culture.
It also demanded immediate release of Khaleda Zia as there are no significant charges against her.
A delegation of the faction, led by the newest member of the party’s standing committee, Mahbubur Rahman, who is also a former army chief, made the recommendations in its pre-dialogue talk with five advisers of the government in Meghna, the state guest house.
Law adviser AF Hassan Ariff, communications adviser Ghulam Quader, foreign affairs adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, LGRD adviser Anwarul Iqbal and commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman represented the government.
Acting secretary-general of the faction M Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, party chief’s advisers ZA Khan and Mufazzal Karim, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, M Osman Farruk and Fazlul Azim were also in the BNP delegation.
‘We have discussed many things, ranging from student-teacher politics to national politics, to bring about a change in our political culture. It was a pre-dialogue talk with the government which will help the formal phase to be more fruitful,’ Hafiz Uddin Ahmed told newsmen after the two-hour meeting.
‘We have demanded immediate release of our chairperson Khaleda Zia. There is no significant charge against her,’ Hafiz said.
The faction had earlier preferred Khaleda’s release through legal procedures.
‘We also talked about transition to democracy by lifting the state of emergency and holding a fair election free from black money and muscle power by the end of this year. If the election is not held by December 31 the country will be threatened,’ he said, and added that the advisers had assured them that the elections would be held as per the roadmap announced by the Election Commission.
‘We also called for effective measures to check the spiralling prices of essentials. People are suffering too much,’ he added. Hafiz also evaded a question regarding his past stance of attending the talks with a united delegation of the BNP.
Mahbubur Rahman said they had stressed on the need for creating an acceptable political culture in the country. ‘We suggested that the government hold the parliamentary polls after lifting the state of emergency and also called for necessary measures so that the conditions prevailing before January 11, 2007 cannot recur,’ he said.
The adviser for commerce and education, Hossain Zillur Rahman, labelled Tuesday’s talks as fruitful, which will be very helpful in the formal phase of dialogues. ‘The chances of the success of the formal phase of dialogues are getting brighter after each of the pre-dialogue talks we are having with the political parties,’ he said.
Zillur said the nation is waiting for two things — holding of a fair election and a qualitative change in politics. ‘And the BNP delegation also stressed the need for formulating a post-polls code of conduct for the political parties.’
‘They also put stress on the institutional aspect, the code of conduct and suggested marshalling public opinion in favour of such issues,’ said Zillur.
He said the issue of the need for internal reforms in political parties also came up in the discussion.
Zillur, referring to the holding of local government polls, said the government prefers holding the due election of the local government bodies in time, and the BNP delegation also agreed, saying it was the responsibility of the government and the Election Commission.
‘In each of the meetings till this one, we are more and more assured that the government and the political parties are thinking on national issues in a similar manner. The principal need of the time is creating an environment of trust so that everyone concerned is assured that government’s initiative is good and sincere,’ said Zillur.
Before coming to the talk the stalwarts of the pro-government BNP faction held a meeting at their acting chairperson M Saifur Rahman’s Gulshan home and decided to attend the pre-dialogue talk.
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