Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sat with a Jatiya Oikya Front delegation in a crucial dialogue ahead of the 11th parliamentary election.
The 21-member delegation led by Dr Kamal Hossain, chief of the new political alliance, arrived at Ganabhaban around 6.45pm Thursday.
Hasina entered the meeting room at 6.57pm, as per a report on bdnews24.com.
The talks are expected to ease political tensions between the Hasina-led administration and opposition groups.
Dr Kamal’s delegation initially named 16 people coming from different stripes for the dialogue, but the alliance later added five more to the team.
BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan is among the new delegates participating in the dialogue with Hasina.
Another BNP leader, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, was included in the Oikya Front delegation, but he did not finally show up.
While taking the seat, Hasina greeted everyone. “Ganabhaban is a place for the people. I welcome you all to today’s event,” she said.
The work of the Awami League government in socio-economic development and the continuation of democracy would play a significant role in expediting the country’s development, she hoped.
“But this country is for all of us. Our prime goal is to change people’s fate by taking the country forward through overall development.”
“I will leave it to you to judge. Nine years and 10 months of our government have passed. You will surely consider the country’s development in this period. What I can say is that the people of Bangladesh are better-off now. Their fate has changed,” Hasina said.
The prime minister also remembered the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Liberation War martyrs.
“Our only goal is to take the outcome of independence to everyone.”
The closed-door meeting started after the prime minister’s opening remarks.
More to follow...