End terrorism for talks

A day after BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's call for talks which she termed the sole way for an inclusive election, the ruling Awami League said it could be given a thought only when the party paves the way for a peaceful situation by stopping terrorism, killings, hartals and blockades.

"It is not possible to meet your demand while you keep the whole nation hostage," AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told a press conference in the AL chief's Dhanmondi office in the capital yesterday.

"None across the globe holds talks with militants and criminals and it will not be held in Bangladesh. Holding talks with terrorists mean patronising them," he said.

Ashraful, also the LGRD minister, said the way the world resists criminalism would also be applied here. "Time has come to declare war against the criminals to uproot them from this soil."

About BNP's ongoing movement, he said it was no more for an election, rather it was to establish an atmosphere similar to what Islamic State was trying to instate.

"No democratic movement can be launched by killing people," he said, alleging that Khaleda only wanted to assume power.

On Khaleda's demand for midterm polls, Ashraf said future elections would follow the last parliamentary one which was held as per constitutional provisions and boycotting those would cause Khaleda, not people, to bear the responsibilities.

AL leaders Mahabub-ul-Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni, Ahmod Hossain, Abdus Sobhan Golap, Asim Kumar Ukil and Sujit Roy Nandi were present.