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| Bangladesh |
| BNP, Jamaat to rally together |
| 2010-06-06 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami have agreed to forge a joint movement against the government. The decision came when top leaders of the two parties met at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office last night. The government move to try war criminals also came up for discussion at the meeting, which began at around 9:00pm, said meeting sources. Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami led a nine-member delegation that included party stalwarts Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Delwar Hossain Saidee and Azharul Islam. Khaleda was accompanied by BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Senior Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members RA Gani and Nazrul Islam Khan, among others. Asked if they have discussed the trial of war criminals, Mojahid said, "We don't have any disagreement on any issue." The meeting sources said Jamaat leaders raised the trial issue and stressed the need for joint efforts against the government move. They said Awami League has political intention behind the move for trials. Khaleda told the Jamaat leaders that BNP is talking about the issue from its viewpoint and Jamaat should go ahead with its own strategies. During the meeting, Khaleda asked for all-out support from Jamaat for June 27 hartal. Jamaat leaders said they would finalise their stance on the issue today. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Nizami said, "There is no alternative to waging a movement. BNP has already announced programmes to that end and we have taken those positively." He also said that after discussing overall political situation they have agreed with BNP to forge a movement, as "the government has failed miserably and been persecuting the opponents". This is the first meeting since the two parties sat before the general election in 2008. Yesterday's was in a series of view-exchange meetings that the opposition chief has been holding with like-minded parties to drum up support for the programmes she announced last month. Khaleda has already met leaders of Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Khelafat Majlish, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party, National Peoples Party, National Awami Party, National Democratic Party and other pro-BNP organisations. |
| Posted by:Fred |