Six representatives of the civil society on Tuesday night told president
Abdul Hamid that democracy could be in danger if the general election
was held without participation of the main opposition.
Expressing concern over the volatile political situation, the delegation
led by jurist Kamal Hossain sought intervention of the president to
overcome the situation.
After the one and a half hour meeting with the president, former
caretaker government adviser Akbar Ali Khan told newsmen at the
Bangabhaban gate that they had met the president and expressed their
concern but made no specific recommendations.
Ihsanul Karim Helal, press secretary to the president, told newsmen that
the president had given the delegation a patient hearing and told them that he would convey the message to all concerned.
`The civil society members expressed their concern over the current
situation and sought informal intervention of the president to overcome
the crisis,’ Ihsanul said adding, ‘The president told them that he would
convey the message to all concerned.’
The delegation included former caretaker government advisers Jamilur
Reza Chowdhury and Sultana Kamal; lawyer Shahdeen Malik and Citizens for
Good Governance general gecretary Badiul Alam Majumder.
Asked whether the delegation had a plan to met with prime minister
Sheikh Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia, Akbar Ali Khan said, `They are
political rivals, so they have no solution and that is why we went to
the president’.
`We have expressed our concern to the president and said that democracy
could be in danger if the election is held without participation of main
opposition BNP,’ Akbar Ali Khan said adding, `We must save democracy.
We all want a neutral election.’
‘The president told us that due to his constitutional limitations he
would not be able to take any formal steps. Any step taken by the
president would be informal,’ said the former bureaucrat.
`The president alone cannot give a solution. The political parties have responsibilities too,’ he said.
Akbar Ali said that they had told the president that they were ready to offer advice if needed.
Kamal Hossain told newsmen that they had met the president on their own
but each of them represented different organisations and had different
identities.
The meeting with the president started around 6:30pm. The civil society
delegation came to the Bangabhaban in two white cars of the same brand.
Sultana Kamal said that they had taken the initiative with confidence
that a solution would come. ‘We will be trying for a soulution,’ she
said.
The Election Commission on Monday announced that the 10th parliamentary election would take place on January 5.
The opposition alliance quickly rejected the election schedule and
enforced a 48-hour road-rail-waterway blockade from 6:00am Tuesday. (source)