Sylhet Bureau

A divisional workshop titled ‘Dialogue and Reconciliation among Political Parties held at hotel in Sylhet city on Saturday.

Speakers at a discussion said that there was no alternative to dialogue and mutual understanding among the political parties for a fair, acceptable and participatory election.

They said that the prevailing political reality of the country was not conducive to participatory and competitive elections.

They made the comments while addressing a divisional workshop titled ‘Dialogue and Reconciliation among Political Parties.’

The workshop was organised by The Hunger Project at a hotel in the city at noon.

Stating that the government wants to hold the upcoming general election under their own management while the opposition parties want it under a non-party and impartial government, the speakers said that a consensus of all political parties was a must to overcome this situation.

They observed that interference of foreigners in our country was not new and for that reason, the number of active citizens should be increased in the country to get rid of this unwanted meddling.

If the government did not exert influence over the election related institutions and officials, there would be no need for a non-party neutral or caretaker government, the discussants added.

Now, it is hard to find a single bureaucrat in the country who can play a neutral role in the elections staying free of any influence, they said.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, a non-government organisation working for good governance, Sylhet district unit president Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury presided over the programme and the organisation central coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarker coordinated it.

Workers Party of Bangladesh Sylhet district president Sikandar Ali, Sunamganj district Bangladesh Mohila Awami League vice-president Ripa Sinha, Sylhet Multiparty Advocacy Forum president ATM Hasan Zebul, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod Sylhet district general secretary Morshed Alam, its city unit secretary Gias Ahmad, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal Sylhet district member secretary Pranab Jyoti Pal, Bangladesh Communist Party Sylhet district secretary Khairul Hasan and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Delwar Ahmad addressed the programme.

Among others, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik Sunamganj district adviser Syed Mohibul Islam, senior journalist Iqbal Siddiquee, Sujon Habiganj district secretary Chowdhury Misbahul Bari Liton, its Sylhet district secretary Shah Saheda Akter and Sunamganj district secretary Fazlul Karim Sayeed attended the programme as special guest.