Meeting with BNP part of regular dialogue with political parties: CA's press secretary

The meeting with the BNP was part of a routine dialogue with political parties, chief adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today (23 October).

"We are discussing with political parties about the current issues. We have held many meetings with various political parties and will hold more in the coming days as well," he said following the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and three BNP leaders at state house Jamuna.

The BNP leaders, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, spoke to Prof Yunus and later briefed the media.

When asked about the resignation of the president, Shafiqul said, "We will inform you if anything happens or there are any developments. We will let you know if the advisory council has any meetings, like the weekly meeting scheduled for tomorrow [24 October]."

Regarding questions about the demand for President Mohammed Shahabuddin's resignation, Shafiqul said, "The government agrees with what the law adviser said. We will let everyone know if there is any development on the matter."

Asked about the government's stance on the protests, he said, "We have asked the protesters to move from that location. Security has been strengthened there."

Yesterday, the interim government concurred with Adviser Asif Nazrul's statement that President Shahabuddin lied about not getting the resignation letter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The government also agrees that by lying about the letter, the president has violated his oath, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir.

Law, Justice and Parliament Adviser Asif Nazrul had said, "The president's statement that he did not receive Sheikh Hasina's resignation letter is a lie, and it is a violation of his oath."

Replying to a question about whether it is Asif Nazrul's personal opinion, or the opinion of the entire advisory council including the chief adviser, "The government agrees with what the law adviser said.''

Earlier, President Mohammad Shahahuddin said he has no documentary proof of the resignation of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who hastily fled and took refuge in India in the face of a student-people uprising on 5 August.

"I have heard that she has resigned. However, I do not have any documentary proof. Despite trying hard, I couldn't obtain it," he told Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, who met the president to learn about the resignation letter. 

"Perhaps she didn't get the time," said Shahabuddin, as per a write-up on the conversation published in Manab Zamin's political magazine "Janatar Chokh" on 20 October.