Talks polls schedule

Desk Report

Khaleda Zia has agreed to consider taking part in the on-going dialogue with the government by Sunday and meeting her arch rival Sheikh Hasina, said one of the four advisers who met her Friday night.

As the four met the former prime minister for nearly two hours, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed phoned Khaleda Zia and spoke for 10 minutes.
 
"The chief adviser spoke with her from 9:50pm to 10pm on the phone. They mainly discussed doalogue and polls schedule," adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said.
 
"We had two objectives: a courtesy call and BNP participation in the current political process," he said.
 
The adviser told reporters that the BNP chief also responded positively to proposal that she and the Awami League chief, Sheikh Hasina, meet face to face to discuss the nation's problems.
 
Khaleda, standing trial on a raft of graft charges, was released from prison on bail Thursday after a year's detention.
Khaleda had already said after her release that her party would join electoral dialogue and general elections planned for December.
 
The four came out of her Shaheed Mainul Road residence at 11.40pm and drove to nearby Old DOHS Community Centre to brief journalists.
 
The other three advisers were law adviser AF Hassan Ariff, communication adviser Ghulam Quader, local government adviser Anwarul Iqbal.
 
"We have had long discussions on post-election stability, and Khaleda Zia stressed on ensuring a level playing field for all," Hossain Zillur said.
 
"Institutional reforms and code of conduct for political parties were discussed," he said.
 
The four had a similar meeting with Sheikh Hasina at her Dhanmondi home hours after she was released on June 11 on parole.
 
The Awami League chief and former prime minister also received a similar phone call from the chief adviser during the Sudha Sadan meeting.
 
The adviser said the BNP chief agreed with suggestion that people wanted election candidates with clean image.
 
"She agreed to elimiate gradually those political elements whose activities have been questioned by people," the adviser said.
 
"The steps taken in this regard by the government so far have been highlighted during the discussions," he said.
 
"We told her that the two (top) leaders can play a role to clean up politics.
 
"We know there is a huge lack of (mutual) trust, but we have to move forward ... it's natural that there'll be riavlry between parties but the national interest must get priority."
 
The adviser said issues such as the country's economy, health care, education also came up for discussion.

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