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did not keep that space; they blocked it,” AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday.

He was speaking to reporters after the party’s meeting with the joint mission of International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) at the Sheraton Dhaka.

The AL leader said the US delegation told them that they have not come to Dhaka to mediate. “They actually wanted to know about our attitude and the environment ... what we want to do, what kind of election we want and how do we see the future of democracy in Bangladesh?”

Asked whether the US mission talked about caretaker government or an inclusive election, Quader said that they did not speak on these issues.

He also said the ruling party leaders during the meeting clarified rumours about the AL. “They [BNP] have raised many complaints about us. So, we had to make sure the mission has the correct information,” Quader added.

The meeting which began at 12:30pm lasted for about two hours.

MEETING WITH BNP

Prior to the meeting with the AL, the US delegation sat with the BNP leaders at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office at 10:20am.

The BNP leaders alleged that the incumbent government has given vote rigging an institutional shape.

“We have told them that no impartial election is possible under Sheikh Hasina,” BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told journalists after the meeting.

He said they also informed the US team that people could not exercise their franchise in the last two general elections.

He said that the government has taken up a scheme to steal the vote by involving the judiciary, law enforcers, government officials, businesspeople, and politicians.

Responding to a query, Khosru said the US team did not say anything about the upcoming general election as they came here to know the opinions and observations of the election stakeholders.

He said the US mission wanted to know about all aspects of the next national election.

The BNP leader said they told the delegation that the government of Hasina must resign, parliament must be dissolved, a neutral government must be formed, and the Election Commission must be reconstituted for a fair, neutral, and acceptable election as per international standards.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader told the delegation that they were yet to decide on participating in the national election.

“We are observing the situation. We have not made any such decision that we will take part in the election. Discussion on this is underway in the party forum. We will make further decisions after reviewing the situation,” he said following their meeting with the US pre-election assessment team at the Westin Dhaka.