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Taranco will have meetings with Prime Minister, BNP chairperson, Foreign Minister, CEC and members of diplomatic and civil societies
UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka today to encourage political leaders to hold non-violent, inclusive and credible elections. Taranco will lead a five-member team, with two officials from the Department of Political Affairs and one senior mediation expert, and will have a series of meetings with major stakeholders during the trip. However, the government has meanwhile rejected the UN envoy’s request to meet President Abdul Hamid and the chief of staff of the Bangladesh Army, Gen Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan. The visit of the UN official two days after the visit of Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh is seen as an effort of the international community to reduce tension among the political parties amid the ongoing political confrontation over the arrangements for the polls-time government. During her visit Sujatha Singh stressed the need to hold the elections on time. The Election Commission declared the election schedule last month and the date for submission of nomination papers expired on December 2. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending his deputy to mediate in the political crisis. Taranco will have meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP chief Khaleda Zia, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, and members of diplomatic and civil societies. His schedule is prepared in such a manner so that he can convey messages among the leaders. On Saturday, Taranco will meet Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in the afternoon and then the prime minister. After that, he will meet BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and then the BNP chief. In a similar fashion, he will meet Ashraf on Monday morning, Fakhrul in the afternoon and Khaleda in the evening. The next day he will meet the prime minister again before leaving Bangladesh. This is Taranco’s third trip to Dhaka in a year; he visited here last December and May. “I hope his visit will reduce the gap between the two major parties,” former Bangladesh ambassador to US Humayun Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune. He, however, said there was little scope for compromise and that made Taranco’s job difficult. “The two major parties are sticking to their guns and no light is seen at the end of the tunnel,” said another former diplomat, seeking anonymity. If the UN wanted, it could do many things as it had many leverages, he said. A foreign ministry official said the issue of holding non-violent, inclusive and credible elections would dominate the meeting between the prime minister and Taranco. Asked if the UN has the authority to impose any decision on Bangladesh, he said a resolution in the UN General Assembly must be adopted to enforce a UN decision. Meeting with army chief Taranco expressed intention to meet the army chief but the request was declined, said a diplomat. They also wanted to meet the president but it was also not entertained. “There is no point [for him] meeting the army chief to discuss security issue as during the polls time they work under the Election Commission,” the official said. If anybody meets with army officials after meeting with the Election Commission, that would give a wrong message and the government did not want that, he added. “The international community has a tendency to meet with army officials but the government discourages it.” The German ambassador in Dhaka after a meeting with the foreign minister last month said Taranco’s visit was very encouraging. “It comes at the last moment but may be it comes at the right moment.” He expressed hope that both sides would take responsible action before Taranco’s arrival and some major progress could be achieved during his visit. Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general wrote letters to the prime minister and the BNP chief last month, urging them to engage in a dialogue as “time is running out” to find a way to have a credible election. He also made phone calls to both of them in August to encourage them to hold dialogue.
Dhaka rejects Taranco’s request to meet president, army chief | Dhaka Tribune
UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka today to encourage political leaders to hold non-violent, inclusive and credible elections. Taranco will lead a five-member team, with two officials from the Department of Political Affairs and one senior mediation expert, and will have a series of meetings with major stakeholders during the trip. However, the government has meanwhile rejected the UN envoy’s request to meet President Abdul Hamid and the chief of staff of the Bangladesh Army, Gen Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan. The visit of the UN official two days after the visit of Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh is seen as an effort of the international community to reduce tension among the political parties amid the ongoing political confrontation over the arrangements for the polls-time government. During her visit Sujatha Singh stressed the need to hold the elections on time. The Election Commission declared the election schedule last month and the date for submission of nomination papers expired on December 2. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending his deputy to mediate in the political crisis. Taranco will have meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP chief Khaleda Zia, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, and members of diplomatic and civil societies. His schedule is prepared in such a manner so that he can convey messages among the leaders. On Saturday, Taranco will meet Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in the afternoon and then the prime minister. After that, he will meet BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and then the BNP chief. In a similar fashion, he will meet Ashraf on Monday morning, Fakhrul in the afternoon and Khaleda in the evening. The next day he will meet the prime minister again before leaving Bangladesh. This is Taranco’s third trip to Dhaka in a year; he visited here last December and May. “I hope his visit will reduce the gap between the two major parties,” former Bangladesh ambassador to US Humayun Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune. He, however, said there was little scope for compromise and that made Taranco’s job difficult. “The two major parties are sticking to their guns and no light is seen at the end of the tunnel,” said another former diplomat, seeking anonymity. If the UN wanted, it could do many things as it had many leverages, he said. A foreign ministry official said the issue of holding non-violent, inclusive and credible elections would dominate the meeting between the prime minister and Taranco. Asked if the UN has the authority to impose any decision on Bangladesh, he said a resolution in the UN General Assembly must be adopted to enforce a UN decision. Meeting with army chief Taranco expressed intention to meet the army chief but the request was declined, said a diplomat. They also wanted to meet the president but it was also not entertained. “There is no point [for him] meeting the army chief to discuss security issue as during the polls time they work under the Election Commission,” the official said. If anybody meets with army officials after meeting with the Election Commission, that would give a wrong message and the government did not want that, he added. “The international community has a tendency to meet with army officials but the government discourages it.” The German ambassador in Dhaka after a meeting with the foreign minister last month said Taranco’s visit was very encouraging. “It comes at the last moment but may be it comes at the right moment.” He expressed hope that both sides would take responsible action before Taranco’s arrival and some major progress could be achieved during his visit. Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general wrote letters to the prime minister and the BNP chief last month, urging them to engage in a dialogue as “time is running out” to find a way to have a credible election. He also made phone calls to both of them in August to encourage them to hold dialogue.
Dhaka rejects Taranco’s request to meet president, army chief | Dhaka Tribune
