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Bdnews24.com Bikalpadhara Bangladesh Thursday suggested that state power should be balanced between the president and the prime minister.
The dialogue between the political parties and the government started Thursday at the Chief Adviser's Office, with Workers Party of Bangladesh as the first participant. The Left party demanded an immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency.
Bikalpadhara led by former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury in afternoon talks with chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed also recommended that the term of a government be reduced to four years from five.
After the talks, Bikalpadhara secretary general retired major Abdul Mannan told reporters: "Talks were effective."
He said the party leaders discussed mainly five points with the government.
The party also suggested a referendum in the middle of the four-year term of a government—one of the salient points.
"If the ruling party wins less than 50 percent of votes, a caretaker government will take over and hold fresh polls," Mannan said.
"Besides, Bikalpadhara said the elected government must be a government of consensus. It will be political parties that will design the form of that government," Mannan said.
Bikalpadhara recommended that a constitutional commission be formed before the polls on consensus of all political parties to make recommendations to the next parliament.
The constitutional commission will recommend on how to bring civil society members to parliament and increase participation of women and minority groups, Mannan said.
Mannan said: "We asked the government to ensure an environment for the polls in which elections will be held in a peaceful atmosphere. The polling centres will be safe and the votes will not be rigged or robbed."
Bikalpadhara discussed the overall situation of the country and asked the government not to hike oil prices, to disburse interest-free loan among farmers, increase subsidies and take steps to increase people's income.
Commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman also briefed reporters after the talks. He said the government discussed a pre-election environment, prevention of vote rigging, stability after the polls and a change in the culture of power.
He said the there had been a misunderstanding over the national charter. "The charter was meant for unity," he added.
"We will also discuss with citizen groups along with the political parties on the matter. We will try to have talks with expatriates too," the adviser said.
Other members in the Bikalpadhara team were MA Halim, Giasuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Mahi B Chowdhury, Professor Abdur Rashid and Kartik Thakur.
WORKERS PARTY
In formal talks with the government, the Workers Party of Bangladesh demanded an immediate withdrawal of the state of emergency, for the sake of a fair and transparent election.
A two-hour meeting between the government and WPB marked the start of the formal dialogue with political parties.
WPB has also asked the government to make necessary arrangements for detained Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and AL general secretary Abdul Jalil to take part in the dialogue process.
"The government has said it will take all required steps to ensure the participation of all political parties in the dialogue," party president Rashed Khan Menon told reporters Thursday after the dialogue.
"The dialogue will be meaningful and effective only with the participation of all parties, the government has said," Menon added.
"We have asked the government to reinforce democratic rights by lifting the emergency immediately for a congenial atmosphere for the polls and for the democratic process."
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