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Govt invites pro-Saifur BNP to talks

Staff Correspondent
The caretaker government once again invited pro-Saifur faction of the BNP to an 'unofficial' talk with it, prompting the faction's leaders to seek more time for discussing the invitation among themselves as well as with leaders of the rival faction led by Khandaker Delwar Hossain. communications Adviser unuiam Quader yesterday afternoon made a phone call to Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, acting secretary general of Saifur loyalists, inviting the faction to an introductory dialogue with the government seeking a date for it
"The adviser talked to me over the phone, and nowwe are discussing the matter among ourselves. We will also talk to the other faction of the party before sitting for the dialogue with die government," Hafiz told The Daily Star last night.
Earlier in the day, after a meeting with leaders of Jatiyatabadi Tanti Dal, handloom weavers' wing of BNR Hafiz told reporters in his Banani residence, "I've told the adviser that we are contacting Khandkar Delwar and others in an effort to sit with the government together. So we will wait a little longer."
"If they [Khaleda loyalists) don't come with us, we will sit with the government by ourselves soon, under the leadership of our Acting Chairperson Saifur Rahman." He said.
Meanwhile, BNP Joint Secretary General Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a Khaleda loyalist, yesterday said if the government wants to have a dialogue with BNP it will have to send an invitation to Khandaker Delwar Hossain, otherwise the party will not talk
Waving aside Hafizuddin's remarks, he said, "Who is Hafiz to invite us? BNP leaders and workers don't accept him as a leader. He is known just as a vice-president of the party."
"Khandaker Delwar Hossain is the lawful secretary general of the party," Goyeshwar told reporters in former BNP lawmaker Md Shahjahan's NAM flat in the capital.
On April 7, Education and Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman made a phone call to proKhaleda leader also BNP's Acting Office Secretary Rizvi Ahmed and invited KI i. ih da loyalists to sit with the government in an 'informal' talk
The next day, Communications Adviser Ghulam Quader talked to Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, acting secretary general of pro-Saifur faction, over the phone extending the same invitation to his group too.
In immediate reactions to the invitations, pro-Khaleda faction said their Secretary General Khandaker Delwar must talk to the detained party chief Khaleda Zia before accepting the invitation, while rival Saifur loyalists immediately accepted the invitation in principle, pending finalisation of it in an appropriate forum.
Later, Delwar sent a letter to the jail authority seeking permission to meet the detained party chairperson, also a former premier of the country, to discuss the government proposal but has yet to get the permission.