Lawyer in HC for Hasina-Khaleda talks

A lawyer has moved the High Court seeking a directive for a political dialogue between the two major parties in Bangladesh.

Yunus Ali Akhand also sought an order in the petition filed on Thursday to stop countrywide agitation by the Ganajagaran Mancha demanding death penalty for all war criminals and outlawing the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Akhand told bdnews24.com that he would present the plea before the court on Monday at the High Court vacation bench.

The ruling Awami League-led 14 party coalition, BNP-led 18-Party Alliance, Election Commission, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been made defendants in the petition.

Akhand’s petition sought a rule why the two leading ladies in Bangladesh’s politics should not be ordered to start talks to break the present deadlock and overcome the existing political impasse to ensure a free and fair national election.

It also sought another rule asking why order should not be given to initiate a dialogue between Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and heads of other political parties to end the current turmoil.

Besides, Akhand also prayed for a directive to political parties to refrain from enforcing shutdowns and chaos until the ruling is dissolved.

The Awami League-led incumbent coalition government scrapped the caretaker government provision through the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, which effectively meant the upcoming polls would be held under the current government.

Contending that polls under a party-led body would not be fair, the BNP and its allies have been on the streets to press for reinstatement of the scrapped provision.

Amid the standoff, the business community as well as the diplomats have urged both Hasina and Khaleda to sit for talks over the next parliamentary polls.

On Thursday, the Human Rights Commission Mizanur Rahman said he would take initiatives for the talks, if needed.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam has said his party is ready to hold talks. In response, the BNP leaders said they would join the dialogue only if the government accepts their demand for a non-partisan neutral caretaker government system.

Another ruling party leader Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif has said the BNP should leave the Jamaat if it wanted to sit for talks to end political turmoil.

The Islamist party has been orchestrating violence over the recent past demanding repeal of the war crimes tribunals, which have convicted two of their leaders on charges of crimes perpetrated during the nation’s 1971 Liberation War. The BNP also supports the Jamaat’s call.

The government says more than 70 people were killed in violence over the past one month. Houses, businesses and temples of the religious minorities were also attacked on a large scale. The US, the UK and several human rights organisations have expressed concern over the mayhem.

The lawyer has moved the court in the past on education-related issues.