Political dialogues: The long road to nowhere - দৈনিক মুক্ত আওয়াজ
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Political dialogues: The long road to nowhere

The problem in Bangladesh is that politicians consider compromise as a weakness and a sign of defeat

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla : t is an established fact that elections bring about a gust of uncertainty for Bangladesh. Every election is preceded by a prolonged period of tension, when every discussion appears to swirl around the same concerns: “Will it be free, fair, and inclusive?” and “Will the parties – meaning the two major parties, Awami League and the BNP – hold talks to avert any uncertainty?”

With the national election coming up in less than a year, the situation is no different this time, either. Regarding discussions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the ruling Awami League, apparently ruled out any possibility. “Who will we hold a dialogue with? We held a dialogue [with them] before the 2018 election. What was the result? They did nothing except make the election questionable.”

While the PM hinted that there would be no talks, the BNP went one step further.

The party’s secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said, “We will not engage in any talks with [the prime minister]. Why should we hold a dialogue with her when she does not keep her word? That’s why we did not speak of dialogues for once.”

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