Dialogue still possible over polls: Experts
“The Awami League has already rejected any possibility for a dialogue but I believe there is still time to sit together, discuss the issues,” said former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retired) M Sakhawat Hussain
Former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retired) M Sakhawat Hussain said there is still time to hold a dialogue between political parties even before the last date of nomination submission on 30 November for the upcoming national polls.
"Bangladesh has already turned into an arena of international hegemony. Dialogues between the political parties should have taken place much earlier," he said at a roundtable on Saturday.
"The Awami League has already rejected any possibility for a dialogue but I believe there is still time to sit together, discuss the issues," added the political analyst.
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Editors Guild, Bangladesh organised the roundtable at Dhaka Gallery on Saturday. Ekattor Television Chief Editor Mozammel Babu presided over the session.
Historian and researcher Professor Muntassir Mamoon said, "Earlier, we have seen dialogues every time before elections, but nothing changed. That is the reality."
He also criticised the "demand from the NGOs" for a dialogue and said, "They only know one word – dialogue."
He also criticised the role of foreign diplomats in Bangladesh's elections.
"Diplomats are overstepping their boundaries. I consider Peter Haas an unfortunate man. He has been assigned an impossible task. There's no precedent in Bangladesh for such an endeavor to succeed," Muntassir Mamoon said.
He also urged journalists to ask the US ambassador about the rationale behind advocating for a dialogue beyond his jurisdiction.
AKM Shahidul Haque, former inspector general of Bangladesh, emphasised that engaging in dialogue could have reduced the divide between the two major parties.
He said, "The government is pushing ahead with this agenda, determined to conduct the elections by any means. Nevertheless, the sanctions and repercussions, though delayed, will inevitably be confronted after the elections."
Dr Sattar, chairman of Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), Ajay Dasgupta, senior journalist; and Brigadier General (retired) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, former election commissioner of Bangladesh also took part in the discussion.
