The government’s chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, announced in a TV speech on Sunday night that the ban, imposed immediately after a state of emergency was proclaimed on January 11, would be lifted from Monday, September 10.
“It will help political parties to hold meetings with the election commission,” he said. “We want to bring about a number of reforms and the election commission needs to talk to political parties.”
Ahmed said his government was determined to hold election before the end of 2008.
“We shall hand over power to an elected government immediately after the election,” he said. “Our tenure in power is temporary.”
The election commission has invited 15 political parties to a dialogue that will begin on September 11 and continue till November.
Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has demanded release of its leader who was arrested on corruption charges on July 16, but said it would hold a meeting of the working committee to decide whether to participate in the dialogue.
“Our leader is in jail,” said Awami League’s acting president Zillur Rahman. “It is difficult for us to join any such dialogue without consultation with her, but the leader has authorised the working committee to take steps in this regard.”
However, Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party is divided on the issue.
The acting secretary-general of the party, Khandker Delwar Hossain, has said that they would not participate in any discussion with the election commission unless Khaleda is released.
“It is not possible for us to take part in any kind of parleys keeping our leader in jail,” he said.
Reformists said they were ready to join the election commission dialogue.
The sacked BNP secretary-general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said they would do everything for bringing about reforms in the party and election commission.