Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold fresh dialogues with the political parties that joined talks at Ganobhaban before the December-30 election. "The Prime Minister had talks with 75 political parties, including those in Jatiya Oikyafront and the Juktafront, before the 11th parliamentary elections... at a joint meeting of our advisory council and the central working committee yesterday (Saturday), she said she'll again invite those who joined the talks earlier," he said. Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up with the announcement after a meeting of their party at its Bangabandhu Avenue central office yesterday. He, however, did not say specifically when the Prime Minister will start inviting the political parties for the fresh round of talks. The ruling party general secretary said the Prime Minister will exchange views with the political parties over various issues and entertain the leaders.

He said the Prime Minister will send letters to Oikyafront, Juktafront, 14-party, Jatiya Party and other political parties

inviting them to engage in talks at Ganobhaban. At a discussion on Thursday last, Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain called upon the government for holding a national dialogue to find ways for arranging a fresh national election as per the constitution.

However, Obaidul Quader on Friday turned down the call for talks and terming it an absurd demand of Oikyafront.

Reacting to Quader’s comment, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said the ruling party is unwilling to sit in talks with the opposition parties as it has no answer to defend ‘huge fake votes cast during the December-30 election’.

As his attention was drawn to Dr Kamal’s comment that joining election with Jamaat in Oikyafront was a mistake of his party, Quader said, “He (Kamal) swallowed poison knowingly as Jamaat means BNP and BNP means Jamaat. He forged the alliance with BNP knowing this fact that BNP has no existence without Jamaat.”