There is no scope of dialogue now: Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said now there is no scope of holding dialogue over the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

“(US Ambassador in Dhaka) Peter Haas met me with a letter of US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Donald Lu. I have heard that he sent two such letters to two other parties. One of those is BNP and another is Jatiya Party,” he said.

“In this letter, Donald Lu called for unconditional political dialogue. But there is no scope for holding dialogue now,” Quader told reporters after the meeting with US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas at his Secretariat office here.

During the meeting, the letter of Donald Lu was handed over to the AL general secretary.

About the letter, Quader said he will discuss the issue of the letter with AL President Sheikh Hasina.

“I have read the one-page letter. It is written about free and fair elections. The United States is not in favour of any party,” he said.

The AL general secretary said the schedule of the upcoming general elections may be announced any time. So, there is no scope of holding dialogue now. “Earlier, we thought of holding dialogue with BNP but the time is over now,” he added.

Responding to a question, the AL general secretary said no political party that believes in democracy can deny dialogue.

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the polls schedule any time and that is why there is no chance of conflict with BNP during this period, he said.

“When we asked them (BNP) to join an unconditional dialogue, they did not agree to it. The time of dialogue is over now,” Quader said.