& 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

PM to head all-party interim govt

Says Hasan Mahmud; Quamrul Islam hints at possible exchange of letters between AL, BNP

Staff Correspondent
Environment and Forest Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would head the all-party interim government during the upcoming national election.
His remarks came a day after the premier proposed to form an all-party interim government and a cabinet comprising opposition MPs, among others, to conduct the election.
Speaking at a discussion of Projonmo Bangabandhu at the capital's Jatiya Press Club, the minister said the opposition's "ill intention will be exposed if it doesn't respond to the PM's call".
The main opposition BNP has long been saying it will not join any election under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, while Jatiya Party called the proposal "vague".
Separately, State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam yesterday hinted that the two major political parties might exchange letters for talks soon, reports the BSS.
"At the talks, decisions will be taken on how the Election Commission can be made stronger and which party will be given how much power," he said, referring to the proposal on an all-party cabinet. Addressing a discussion of Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote at Dhaka Reporters Unity, Quamrul urged the BNP to sit for talks as soon as possible.
Referring to the USA, India, Japan and Australia, Hasan Mahmud said that in all those democracies, an interim government was always headed by the one who led the immediate past government. "The same way, the incumbent prime minister will head the interim government in Bangladesh."
He claimed that his party should be credited for its "liberal stance" in inviting the opposition to join the poll-time government though there was no constitutional obligation for this. "If the opposition leader does not respond even after all these, I will assume that you want to hamper democracy."
Advocate Quamrul said, "Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's address to the nation on Friday, it's now the responsibility of the main opposition BNP to decide whether to take to the field with machetes and axes or to choose the path of peace."
"There shall be discussions on matters relating to the size of the interim government, its responsibilities and the executive power to be exercised by it. But, there are no more smokescreens over the issue following the premier's realistic proposal," he said.
The state minister hoped that the BNP would not strike panic and fear into the public mind any more over October 25, when it was supposed to take to the streets demanding restoration of the caretaker government system.
Meanwhile, United National Awami Party, Samprodaikata-Jongibad Birodhi Mancha, and Sammilito Samajik Andolon yesterday issued separate statements welcoming the PM's proposal.