All eyes on Ganabhaban

All eyes are on talks between prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and new opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front leaders led by Dr Kamal Hossain at Ganabhaban this evening over the 11th parliamentary elections due by January 28, 2019.
A 23-memeber team of the ruling Awami League-led alliance is scheduled for 7:00pm evening to sit for the talks at the prime minister’s residence with a 16-member delegation of the front led by Kamal Hossain.
Oikya front leaders are, however, unlikely to have dinner at Ganabhaban.
Front leaderand Gono Forum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu told New Age Wednesday evening that they conveyed the message to Ganabhban requesting not to arrange dinner for them saying that they wanted to utilise whole the time for the talks to solve political crisis.
The 23-member ruling alliance delegation led by Hasina includes AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi Zafrullah, Ramesh Chandra Sen, Abdul Matin Khashru and Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction president Hasanul Haq Inu, Samyabadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal executive president Mayeenuddin Khan Badal, AL leaders Anisul Haque, also the law minister, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni, Jahangir Kabir Nanak Abdus Sobhan Golap, Hasan Mahmud and SM Rezaul Karim, said a press release signed by its office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, said an AL release on Wednesday.
The opposition alliance finalised its 16-member delegation led by Kamal at a meeting and sent the list to AL general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday.
The delegation also includes Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction president ASM Abdur Rob, BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar and Mirza Abaas, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, Nagorik Oikya leader SM Akram, Gono Forum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu, JSD vice-president Tania Rob and general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan, and Jatiya Oikya Prakriya leaders ABM Mostafa Amin and Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, also former Dhaka University Central Students’ Union vice-president.
The prime minister sent a letter to Kamal Hossain, also the Gono Forum president, Tuesday morning inviting front leaders to the talks.
The move came in response to Kamal’s letter sent to Hasina on Sunday for the talks over their 11-point objective and seven-point demand, including resignation of the government, dissolution of present parliament and formation of polls-time non-party neutral government.
Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, told reporters at the ministry on Wednesday that the prime minister might hold talks with more political parties.
Hasina on Tuesday invited Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh led by AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury to talks at Ganabhaban at 7:30pm on Friday.
Awami League publicity secretary Hasan Mahmud and cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil handed over the invitation letter to Badruddoza at his Baridhara house about 10:50pm, few hours after the former president sent Hasina a letter for the talks.
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Wednesday also sent a letter to the prime minister for talks.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed at a human chain in Dhaka on Wednesday said that they would join the talks and hold discussion on their 11-point objective and 7-point demand. 
In the invitation letter addressed to Kamal, Hasina said, ‘My door is always open for discussion over all issues in line with the constitution for the continuation of the democratic process earned through immense struggles and sacrifices. So, I invite you to Ganabhaban at 7:00pm on November 1, 2018 as you sought time for talks.’
On October 13, the Jatiya Oikya Front was floated by main opposition BNP, Jatiya Oikya Prakriya of Kamal Hossain, JSD and Nagorik Oikya.
Its demands include release of jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and all other political prisoners, reconstitution of the Election Commission, no use of electronic voting machines in the next general election and deployment of army with magistracy during elections.
Its objectives include decentralisation of the administration, appointment of the ombudsman, amendment to the constitution including Article 70 on floor crossing, establishment of Constitutional Commission and Constitutional Court to ensure appointment of honest, non-partisan and competent people to the constitutional offices and empowerment of people, formation of Supreme Judicial Council and formulation of rules on the appointment of Supreme Court judges to ensure independence of judiciary and reform of the Anti-Corruption Commission to curb corruption in public and private sectors.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net