Bangladesh is heading towards confrontational politics as the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sent a letter to the main opposition Awami League (AL)suggesting to include the names of those the AL was opposing in the committee to discuss reforms of caretaker government system and Election Commission (EC).

After receiving the BNP letter, the AL said it felt surprised and disappointed, and said it would be in the streets to force the government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to go for the reform of the caretaker government system, which supervises the country's general elections and reform of the EC.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on Friday sent a letter, including the names of its four-party Islamist alliance partners, whom the AL-led 14-party combine have been opposing, saying they will not sit with the men who opposed the independence of the country and aided Pakistani forces during the country's liberation war in 1971.

Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote are the major partners of the ruling BNP. The opposition 14-party combine leaders blamed the two partners of BNP opposed the independence war so they cannot sit with them to discuss reforms of the caretaker government system and the EC.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil earlier in a letter to BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuyian had requested not to include the names of any member of Jammat-e-Islami and Islamic Oikya jote.

Jalail also suggested Bhuiyan that the talks should be held between the BNP and AL.

After Friday's letter AL Chief Sheikh Hasina said the people of the country have to be motivated to force the government to do the reforms.

Hasina, who was prime minister from 1996 to 2001, blamed the government on pushing the country towards confrontation including the names of those acted against the independence war.

"Sitting with these people is equivalent to sitting with the militant leaders Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai, who were arrested last month for series of bombing and suicide bomb attacks," Hasina said.

Bhuyian on Friday's letter said, "in our reply to the opposition's last letter, we have announced the names of four-party representatives. We hope they would sit down to reach a consensus over the next election."

"The next election will be held in line with the decision taken by the 10-member committee," Bhuiyan said.

AL Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Suranjit Sen Gupta said, "it is now crystal that the government is killing time in the name of dialogue and the government has yet again proved its insincerity in having a discussion."

He said, "the government do not want talks. We will be in the streets and will compel the government to reform."

Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami said On Friday that keeping away Jamaat from the reforms talks is to break the alliance."

Non-partisan caretaker government supervises the general elections of this South Asian country since 1996 and next general elections is due in January next year.

The AL-led 14-party leftist alliance have been saying unless there is reform they will not join the next general elections as aBNP man will head the non-partisan caretaker government system andthe EC is also run by the BNP men.

In reaction to Jamaat including in the government dialogue team, senior leaders of the 14-party combine on Saturday said they would realize their demands through mass movements in the streets.

They accused that the government really does not want to hold the dialogue but has been staging dramas in the name of dialogue just to kill time.

Political observers here believe, there will be political agitation in the country ahead of the next general elections as the opposition has rejected the government proposal and vowed to mass movement.

The Observers also said both the ruling BNP and the opposition AL seem to be very firm on their stands and they are not ready to give any concessions on their view points.

Source:Xinhua