Finally, the closed door of dialogue was opened. The much-awaited dialogue began. The top 43 leaders of the two main alliances, who took opposing positions, were at one table. A different atmosphere was created at Ganabhaban. Smiling greetings and greetings were exchanged. The much-awaited dialogue began at around 7 pm. It ended at around 10:30 pm. In this dialogue that lasted for about three and a half hours, the 14-party alliance led by the ruling Awami League was led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On the other hand, the National Unity Front was led by Gana Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain. The meeting of the two alliances was held at Ganabhaban.
In her welcome speech at the dialogue, Sheikh Hasina told the Oikyafront leaders, "I will leave it to you to judge. (After assuming power) we have been in government for nine years and 10 months, you will surely consider how much development we have been able to achieve in the country during this period. But I can say this much, the common people of Bangladesh are doing well, their fortunes have changed. The beginning of change that we have made is changing day by day, we have to take it further." After the dialogue, Dr. Kamal Hossain came out and told reporters in front of Ganabhaban, "Good discussions have taken place." Do you think the discussions were fruitful? He replied, "It will be fruitful." However, Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of BNP, the largest party in the Oikyafront, said something different while getting into the car. In response to questions from reporters, he said, "We are not satisfied (with the discussions). Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that further discussions with the National Oikyafront may take place. He said, 'That will be known after November 8. There was an open discussion. The Prime Minister listened to everyone attentively. She was not impatient at all. Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is a modern system, we support it. However, this time the EC may use EVMs to a limited extent. The Prime Minister assured everyone about free and fair elections.' A member of the BNP standing committee who participated in the dialogue said that despite accepting some demands, the ruling party has not clarified anything about the dialogue. Especially, there was no positive response regarding the release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and a neutral government during the elections. Rather, the Prime Minister brought up the constitutional and legal issues. However, the leaders are not giving up. Demands were made to postpone the elections and the schedule in the dialogue. After the leaders of the Jatiya Oikya Front arrived, they sat in the banquet hall. Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina arrived there at 7 pm, the scheduled time for the dialogue. She greeted everyone at the beginning and gave an introductory speech. Then Sheikh Hasina held a closed-door discussion with 20 leaders of the Jatiya Oikya Front. He was accompanied by 22 leaders of the ruling alliance. The dialogue continued until 10:30 pm. After the dialogue, Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury left first. Then other leaders left one by one. Before leaving for Ganobhaban, the Oikyafront leaders reached Kamal Hossain's house at 4:30 pm and held a closed-door meeting. They left after a quarter of an hour. Although BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was present at the meeting at Dr. Kamal's house, the other BNP leaders in the delegation were not. They reached Ganobhaban separately. Earlier, the Oikyafront delegation led by Kamal Hossain left his house on Bailey Road at around 5:15 pm yesterday to join the dialogue. Some went to Ganobhaban separately. The Oikyafront leaders reached Ganobhaban by 6:45 pm. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to Ganobhaban at 6 pm after participating in the National Youth Day program. BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moin Khan. Then one by one, the leaders of the National Unity Front including Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir started going to Ganobhaban. Last of all, the convener of Nagorik Oikya, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, came. However, despite naming 23 members, BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was not seen in the dialogue. When the leaders of the Unity Front entered, leaders of 14 parties including the ruling Awami League were seen entering Ganobhaban at almost the same time. However, some Awami League leaders were already at Ganobhaban. The Prime Minister's Assistant Private Secretary Saifuzzaman Shikhar welcomed the BNP leaders in front of Ganobhaban. Shortly after the leaders of the National Unity Front entered Ganobhaban, Awami League President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was seen entering. At that time, the Awami League President was seen smiling. Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader was on her right side at the dialogue table. On the left was Industry Minister Amir Hossain Amu, a member of the advisory council. On the opposite side sat Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain. On his left was BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. On the right was Gono Forum Executive President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury. At the beginning of the dialogue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed the leaders of the National Unity Front. At that time, in her welcome speech, the Awami League President said, 'We have been in government for a long time, 9 years and 10 months. You will surely consider how much development we have been able to make in the country during this period. I can say this much, the common people of Bangladesh are doing well. Their fate is changing. The change that we started is happening. It must be taken forward further. We achieved independence under the leadership of our great leader Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in exchange for the blood of millions of martyrs. Today, our only goal is that the benefits of that independence should reach every person's home. We are working with that goal.' According to sources in the meeting, while leaving after the dialogue, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed Gono Forum President Dr. Kamal Hossain, saying, 'You are demanding a non-partisan government, you are demanding a neutral government, who will you replace me with?' In response, Dr. Kamal Hossain said, 'I don't want to remove you, you will stay for the next five years, we will also stay.' After the meeting, two joint general secretaries of the Awami League and another member of the editors' council told the media personnel in an off-record discussion. Apart from this, in an open discussion, Dr. Kamal Hossain demanded a smaller-scale discussion. In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, 'The discussion will take place whenever you want.' Mahmudur Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikya repeatedly asked, 'What assurance did we get? What will we return with?' Former Chhatra League president Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed spoke in the same tone. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded that Khaleda Zia be released and brought to the polls. He said, 'The party chairperson should be released and given the opportunity to hold elections.' In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, 'This is a legal process. What do I have to do?' Then Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and several other BNP leaders told the Prime Minister, 'Many things are possible if you take a political decision. You can do it if you want.' In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, 'No, the law runs at its own pace.' In this context, she mentioned more than 14 cases in her name. The leaders also discussed the demands. Regarding giving judicial power to the army, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, 'In the history of the country, except for the 2001 election, this power has never been given to the army. And this is the jurisdiction of the Election Commission.' In addition, assurances were given at the discussion meeting that BNP can hold meetings properly before the elections. BNP leaders demanded the release of 'prisoners' before the elections. In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, 'You give the list. I will see.' In response, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 'Honorable Prime Minister, shall I give it to you?' The Prime Minister said, 'Yes, give it to me.' Although the leaders of the Oikyafront objected to the use of EVMs, the Awami League leaders said, 'The times have changed. The world is moving forward. We want to use EVMs in a limited way.' Sources also learned that at the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Kamal Hossain raised seven-point demands. After that, all the leaders spoke one by one. Each spoke for three to six minutes. After that, the leaders of the Awami League also spoke. The Prime Minister also refuted some of the statements. At this time, arguments and counter-arguments were given. Whatever happened outside, a heartfelt dialogue was held inside, according to sources.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the 14-party alliance: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the 14-party alliance led by Awami League in dialogue with the Oikyafront. Among the 23 leaders with her were 19 from Awami League, two from Jasad, one from the Samyabadi Dal and one from the Workers' Party. The other leaders were Awami League General Secretary Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Advisory Council member Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, party presidium member Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Health Minister and 14-party spokesperson Mohammad Nasim, presidium members Dr. Abdur Razzak, Kazi Zafar Ullah, Abdul Matin Khasru, Ramesh Chandra Sen, Law Minister Anisul Haque, Awami League Joint General Secretaries Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, Dr. Dipu Moni, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Office Secretary Dr. Abdus Sobhan Golap, Publicity Secretary Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Legal Affairs Secretary Advocate S.M. Rezaul Karim. On the other hand, among the alliance partners, Workers Party President Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon, JSD President Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua, and JSD faction Executive President Moinuddin Khan Badal sat in on the dialogue.
Dr. Kamal led 20 leaders of the National Unity Front: The dialogue with the Prime Minister was led by Gonoforum President Dr. Kamal Hossain on behalf of the Unity Front. He was accompanied by representatives of six members of the BNP. They are - BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee Member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Barrister Zamir Uddin Sarkar, Mirza Abbas and Dr. Abdul Moin Khan. From Gonoforum, Mustafa Mohsin Montu, Mokabbir Khan, A&M Shafiqullah, Jaglul Haider Afrik, Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed and Mostaba Amin of the Unity Process. From JSD, ASM Abdur Rob, Tania Rob and Abdul Malek Ratan. From Nagorik Oikya, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and SM Akram. In addition, the founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury also participated in the dialogue with the Prime Minister. The National Unity Front initially sent a list of 16 leaders from the Oikyafront to participate in the dialogue with the Prime Minister. In a statement yesterday, the Oikyafront said that a delegation of 21 people, not 16, is going to Ganabhaban. Yesterday, the Oikyafront sent a new list of five members to the Awami League.
What Quader said at the press conference: Coming out of the meeting at night, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, 'There was a very open discussion with the Oikya Front. The leaders of the Oikya Front have made some complaints. In view of these complaints, we also have a statement. That too has been made very politely and decently. These discussions will continue. The discussion will take place whenever they want.'
Is the National Unity Front satisfied with the discussion?— To such a question, Obaidul Quader said, 'Dr. If you ask Kamal Hossain, he will tell you.' Quader said, the discussion went on for a long time. From 7 am to 10:30 am. Three and a half hours. There was a very open discussion.' He said, we have agreed on some issues here. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has clearly said that meetings and gatherings will continue. There will be freedom of expression. However, instead of blocking the road and holding any meeting or gathering, it can be held in a field.
Dr. Kamal Hossain's press conference: No solution was reached in the dialogue without permission for meetings and gatherings, said Dr. Kamal Hossain. At a crowded press conference at his residence on Bailey Road at night after the dialogue, the top leader of the Jatiya Oikya Front made these comments about the dialogue. He said, 'We went to Ganabhaban today. There was a dialogue with the Prime Minister. We were there for three hours. The leaders presented everyone's complaints and statements. After listening to everyone, the Prime Minister gave a very long speech. However, we did not get any specific solution there. Only on one issue, regarding meetings and gatherings, he said something good. Subrata Chowdhury will say that.' When asked whether Khaleda Zia's release was discussed, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 'There was a discussion on this issue. He (the Prime Minister) did not say anything specific. He said that these issues may be discussed in the future.'
Jatiya Oikya Front spokesperson ASM Abdur Rab said, "We have given a 7-point program. It is the government's responsibility to accept or not. We have given our program and our movement will continue." ASM Rab said, "Everything cannot be achieved in one day."
