Bangladesh parties silent on talks with UN envoy

The two major parties in Bangladesh - the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party - are tight-lipped about their talks with UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco over the Jan 5 parliamentary polls.

The UN assistant secretary general, who arrived here Friday evening to broker a deal between them on the poll issue, twice met ruling Awami League leaders and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party chair Khaleda Zia twice. Besides, he separately met two senior BNP leaders, bdnews24.com reported.

But so far people have been kept in the dark about the progress - or the lack of it - made in these talks.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, however, said Monday evening that "crucial talks were being held".

Fernandez-Taranco, holding hectic discussions, said that, given the will, a "peaceful solution" to the deadlock over the scheduled polls is still possible.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's emissary is in Dhaka amid a political turmoil caused by the conflicting positions of the two main rival political groupings.

The Awami League constituted an "all-party" cabinet for the Jan 5 elections, but Bangladesh's opposition fears an election without the non-party caretaker government will not be free and fair.

The BNP has been forcing shutdowns and transport blockades across Bangladesh to press for a non-party administration to supervise the polls and force a change in the election schedule.