Shawdesh Desk:

The interim government will hold a dialogue with the major political parties on Saturday to discuss about the six reform commissions and the country’s current law and order situation.

Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus along with other advisers will take part in the dialogue, the chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday.

When asked about the duration of the dialogue and whether it would be conducted with all parties on the same day, he replied that the decision to extend the dialogue would be made on the day of the discussion.

Replying to questions about which parties would get the invitation, he said that the major political parties would be invited.

He said that the advisory council previously discussed with the major political parties in two rounds.

Saturday’s dialogue would be continuation of that process, he added.

At the coming dialogue the progress of activities of the six commissions and the overall law and order situation would be discussed, he said, adding that opinions and suggestions of political parties would be taken.

An adviser of the interim government, however, confirmed New Age earlier that the government had a policy decision not to hold any discussion with Awami League and its alliance partners as they were involved in the policymaking process of carrying out the massacre in July and August.

He said that various quarters, including students who organised the July movement, had reservations in having any coordination with Awami League and its allies.

‘As we are a government of a mass uprising, we cannot do anything that go against the spirit of the sacrifice of the people who gave us this victory,’ he said.

The interim government was formed on August 8 after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government through a student-led mass uprising on August 5.

After assuming the role of the chief adviser to the interim government, professor Muhammad Yunus held two rounds of dialogue with political parties at his official residence at state guest house Jamuna.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh and many other political parties took part in the dialogue.

In his address to the nation on September 11, chief adviser Muhammad Yunus announced the formation of six commissions for reforms in the electoral system, police, judiciary, public administration, constitution and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Badiul Alam Majumder will head the electoral system reform commission; Safar Raz Hossain will head the police reform commission; Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman will head the judiciary reform commission; Iftekharuzzaman will lead the Anti-Corruption Commission reform commission; Abdul Mueed Chowdhury will lead the public administration reform commission; and prominent lawyer Shahdeen Malik was first announced to head the Constitution Reform Commission to be later replaced by professor Ali Riaz.

Press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that the commissions would likely be formed within two to three days.

He said that the commission chiefs were now working to incorporate other members into commissions, while the work to get the commissions’ offices ready was ongoing.

Earlier on Monday, the interim government advisory council announced that it would hold another round of dialogue with the political parties before the six reform commissions began their work in full swing.

The commissions were supposed to start work from October 1. The formation of six reform commissions, however, has not been gazetted yet.

The government has asked the commissions to complete their work and submit reports by December 31.

The chief adviser’s deputy press secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Apurba Jahangir were also present at the press conference.