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Leading citizens to meet Hamid

Want president's help to initiate national dialogue

Staff Correspondent
Civil society members yesterday said they were working towards a national dialogue for an immediate end to the present political crisis and for a permanent fix to the unhealthy cycle of violence over elections.
"We will meet the president soon to press for a dialogue," former chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda told this correspondent after attending a roundtable discussion titled "National Dialogue in National Crisis".
Under the banner of Jatiya Oikya Process, the daylong discussion was held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh in the capital.
From a list of 25, four to five civil society members are to be selected by today to meet the president, said the former CEC who chaired the first session.
Huda, Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Nagorik Oikko Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna and several others are heading the push for the dialogue process.
Speaking at the discussion, Reza Kibria, professor of economics at Dhaka University, said the blockade is causinga loss of $ 100-150 million every day, and it wouldn't be possible to recoup the loss even in the next two years.
Moreover, people are losing confidence in politicians, he added.
Terming the present situation dangerous, the speakers said it might destroy all the achievements the country has made so far in economic and social spheres.
Huda said dialogue is essential and it must start at the earliest possible time as both the ruling Awami League and the BNP-led alliance are taking hard lines.
“It should be a national dialogue, “ said Huda.
He observed that national unity like that during the 1971 Liberation War has to be achieved for the sake of the nation, setting aside partisan interest.
Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said the dialogue would unite all who aspire to see normalcy rather than violence.
Everyone wants peace, not conflicts or politics of confrontation. “We will continue to work on it actively, " he said.
Prof Dr Anwar Hossain of history department at the DU said a dialogue between the government and the BNP was quite unlikely. However, a committee comprising civil society members could meet both.
If the two sides don't agree, the committee members could seek three names each from them for an "indirect dialogue" on reforms of the Election Commission as well as on a polis-time government, he said.
In a written speech, Nagorik Oikko Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the dialogue could be held with
participation of all active political parties and representatives of professionalbodies.
He emphasised the need for a permanent solution to the crisis, and said there must be discussions to find ways to strengthen the constitutional bodies and ensure that those function independently.
Legal experts and academics suggested bringing reforms to the Election Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Service Commission.
The country's regulatory framework collapsed, leading to the creation of a cycle of violence, they said.
Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Sushashoner Janney Nagorik, said the dialogue must focus on polls-time government and electoral laws.
Asked, BNP Standing Committee member Lt Gen (rtd) Mahbubur Rahman said he would welcome such an initiative from civil society members.
If they can convince the president, he can advise the prime minister to hold a dialogue to end the crisis.
"Constitutionally, the president's power is limited but he still can do a lot from his moral position," he told The Daily Star.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, however, said there was no question of having a dialogue unless the BNP admitted that it was instigating violence across the country.
The others who spoke included former advisers to caretaker governments Akbar Ali Khan, M Hafizuddin Khan, CM Shafi Sami and Rasheda K Chowdhury, jurist Shahdeen Malik, journalist Abu Sayeed Khan, former IGP Nurul Huda, DU teacher Robaet Ferdaus, economist Salehuddin Ahmed and Communist Party of Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim.
The BNP-led alliance enforced a non-stop nationwide blockade since January 6 demanding that the government should step down paving the way for an early election.
Since then, at least 65 people have been killed in violence, while businesses continue to suffer heavy losses.