Return to House, Hasina asks Khaleda

Dhaka, Sept 10 (bdnews24.com)—Prime minister Sheikh Hasina requested leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia to return to parliament on Thursday as the two party chiefs, who rarely meet face to face, attended an armed forces iftar programme at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment. The two shared pleasantries, before addressing the issue of the opposition's unofficial boycott of parliament. Hasina arrived at the venue at around 7pm, while Khaleda had reached there a little earlier. Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan told bdnews24.com that the BNP chairperson went up to the prime minister as the latter was exchanging greetings with other guests on her arrival. Khaleda greeted Hasina with a "How are you?" Hasina replied she was well and enquired after Khaleda's well being too, before coming straight to the point and saying, "Come back to parliament." The leader of the opposition said her party wanted to return to the House. "We want to assist the government. But the government has refused our assistance." At a later point, when all were seated, Hasina, turning to speaker Abdul Hamid at her table, said within earshot of others present: "Please make her understand, so that she returns to parliament." Both leaders were seated at the top table for the meal, Hasina flanked by the navy chief at her left side and the army chief, air chief, speaker and Khaleda on her right. Before the iftar meal began, a prayer was said for the well being and prosperity of the nation and the armed forces. Hasina left Senakunja at 7:30pm while Khaleda departed the programme at 7:50pm. The occasion marked only the third time the two have met following their separate releases from special jails in 2008. Last year saw the two, oft-times bitter rivals, also sharing a table at an Armed Forces Day ceremony during the caretaker government. In a more recent meeting this year, Khaleda visited Hasina's Sudha Sadan home to offer condolences on the death of the prime minister's husband Dr M Wazed Miah in May. bdnews24.com/sum/zr/rah/2146h