May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim government invited political parties for talks on elections planned for December, while pressing on with the prosecution of two detained former prime ministers.

Supporters of ex-prime ministers Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina have been demanding their release ahead of the polls, but the army-backed interim administration has said the law will take its own course and that the conduct of elections was not linked with the trials of the leaders.

“We have started inviting party leaders,” Fahim Munaim, chief spokesman for leader of the interim administration Fakhruddin Ahmad said.

The talks will cover election details, preparations and security concerns, officials said.

Hasina’s Awami League and Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party — the nation’s two main parties — say talks with the government and the election commission on the elections were pointless without the participation of their leaders.

But leaders of smaller groups said they will attend the talks so that elections could be held on time. “Otherwise the country is likely to plunge into a worse crisis than it faced before,” said Ferdous Ahmed Koraishy of the Progressive Democratic Party.

Both Hasina and Khaleda, who have been under detention since last year, face a range of corruption cases and abuse of power.

On Wednesday, a court ordered Hasina to appear next week over corruption charges involving a Canadian oil exploration company.

Khaleda has also been charged with underhand dealings with the same Canadian firm. Both leaders deny the charges.

Khaleda’s BNP held consultations on Tuesday night following interim leader Fakhruddin’s announcement on Monday that a new parliament would be elected in the third week of December.

The party has been riven with factional infighting between Khaleda loyalists and a group led by former finance minister Saifur Rahman.

One party leader said the two groups were trying to end their differences and forge a united front.

“The ball is now in the politicians’ court. The election timeline has been given and it’s their (politicians) responsibility to avail of it,” said professor Ataur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Political Science Association.—Reuters