& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

A productive dialogue is my mission : Ninian

By Staff Correspondent
The Commonwealth Secretary General's emissary Sir Ninian Stephen has said he is neither optimistic nor pessimistic' about the outcome of the planned dialogue between the government and the opposition parties.
"I am in a situation where I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic ... I understand the parties are long way apart .... and it is a drawing together process." Sir Ninian said at a press conference at state guest house Padma on his arrival in the city yesterday.
"My main mission is to get the parties talking, to see the parties can get engaged in a productive dialogue." he. said.
The Commonwealth Secretary General, who was here last month, must have discovered materials and atti--tudes which gave him grounds for optimism, otherwise he
wquld not go ahead with his endeavour. Ninian said. "Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition agreed to the proposal he (C'Wealth Secretary General) put forward is itself a ground of his optimism."
Political adviser to Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina SAMS Kibria and two Commonwealth officials, who arrived in'Dhaka earlier as an advance team, were also present at the press conference.
A former Governor General of Australia, Sir Ninian said Bangladesh's current political problem is a matter which has to be resolved by leaders and people? of the country them-. selves.
"My mission is to be available to facilitate discussions between the parties in any way that might be appropriate", said the 71-year old Common-
wealth emissary, who served as Justice of the Australian High Court fot 10 yearb before becoming Governor General in 1982.
A second world war veteran. Ninian said the discussions would initially take place at the level of deputies but ft is hoped that direct talks between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition could be held as early as possible.
"I look forward to working closely with them and their colleagues to facilitate the dialogue." Sir Ninian, who played a major role for resolving the Ireland crisis, said in an arrival statement.
He said. "It is the hope of the Commonwealth Secretary General that by means of discussion between the parties the prevailing atmosphere of
confrontation and tension can be dispelled and normal political activities restored."
He said thai before the press conference, he did not get any feedback from the Commonwealth advance team about the progress of its activities.
Earlier, Information Minister Nazmul Huda. Opposition Chief Whip Md Nasim and Foreign Secretary M R Osmany received the emissary of Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku at the airport. High Commissioners of Australia and Canada in Bangladesh Kenneth Asplrall and John J Scott were also present at the airport.
Sir Ninian said in the present mission he does not represent any government. "As the
envoy of the Commonwealth Secretary General. I represent the Commonwealth. I shall lie keeping the Secretary General informed of the progress of my mission."
He rejected allegations by some political quarters that he is intervening in the internal politics of Bangladesh.
'Certainly it Is the last thing in the world that I intend to intervene. If I can in any way facilitate matters, as the Secretary General believes 1 can. I shall. But intervention is something which I never engaged in." he said.
About the timeframe of the mission he said, I will not be surprised if it (the dialogue) continues for two and three weeks ... but it may be shorter or it may be longer, that will depend entirely on the way the
talks proceeds.”
Asked if he would put forward any compromise formula in the process of dialogue to resolve the crisis, he said. ”1 cannot tell you today whether there is any room jor a compromise formula."
About the modality of the dialogue Sir Ninian said this will be decided on the basis of a consensus on the three-point proposal between the parties concerned.
H^ told another questioner that the door would not be closed for two other opposition parties — the Jatiya Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami —involved in the current Opposition agitation.
He expressed desire to meet the Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition. But time for such meeting has not yet been fixed, he said.