The AL rejection to the prime minister's offer to sit in a dialogue came from a daylong meeting of AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC). The highest decision-making body of the main opposition met at the party's Dhanmondi office with AL President Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The ALCWC, in a resolution, also cautioned that in a last-ditch attempt to hold onto power, the ruling alliance might even try to hinder the constitutional and democratic process in the country.

Within hours of the ALCWC meeting, the ruling BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan made a call for the opposition to reconsider its decision. On Bhuiyan's call, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star last night that he could not say anything yet in this regard.

Blaming the BNP-Jamaat coalition for the rise of militancy, AL had already rejected the proposal for dialogue that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia made in a public speech after repeated suicide bombings in Gazipur and Chittagong last week.

Talking to the reporters at the party's Dhanmondi office yesterday afternoon, Abdul Jalil said, "This proposal for dialogue is to mislead the international community and divert public attention at home. The AL working committee demands immediate resignation of the government in the greater interest of the people as there is no other option or alternative left to rescue the nation from the present crises."

Briefing newsmen on the outcomes of the nearly six-hour meeting staggered over two sessions from 10:00am to 1:00pm and from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, Jalil said, "We cannot sit down with a prime minister, whose hands are stained with bloods and who has killed thousands of our leaders and workers."

Criticising the government severely for being indifferent to preventing the rise of militancy, Jalil said it's frustrating that despite a prime ministerial order, militant kingpin Bangla Bhai has yet to be arrested.

Referring to Jamaat leader Matiur Rahman Nizami's comments that Bangla Bhai was a mere creation of the media, AL general secretary said the government on the one hand speaks against the terrorism and on the other, it encourages violence by sheltering the patronisers of the militants.

The ALCWC meeting resolved that a dialogue with the government would not bear fruit, rather the ruling coalition's stepping aside, on accepting the opposition's proposal for reforms in electoral and caretaker government systems would give a way out of the current situation.

The meeting noted that the state-sponsored terrorists made the grenade attacks on Sheikh Hasina's rally on August 21 last year and killed 24 of its leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman. It also held the ruling coalition goons responsible for the killings of SAMS Kibria, Ahsanullah Master and some 30,000 party activists in last four years.

The ALCWC also condemned the government's failure to deal with Monga (near-famine situation) in the northern districts.

In a resolution, it expressed resolve to convert the ongoing movement against the government into a mass upsurge within the constitutional framework.

The meeting called on the people to join the current movement for "safeguarding the country's independence, restoring peace and security in public life, and rescuing the nation from the current crisis."

MANNAN BHUIYAN'S CALL
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan last night asked the 14-party combine to re-consider the government's proposal to sit down and find ways to combat the recent surge in militant activities.

Talking to the journalists at his residence, Mannan Bhuiyan said the government will officially invite the AL-led opposition combine to a dialogue through letter or telephone.

"I hope they will get back to good intentions during this period of crisis," he told the journalists, in reaction to the 14-party's rejection of the dialogue proposal.

Referring to suicide blasts targeting the judiciary, Bhuiyan said this is a national problem and all the political parties and professional bodies, civil society members and the media should come forward to help the government in the fight against militancy.

"It's not possible for the government alone to resist the militants," he added.

The evil forces that are committing such gruesome acts, are very few in number, and if all the political parties get united, the problem could be solved very soon, he believed.

Referring to the blasts during the AL rule, he said the then government could not arrest and punish the culprits, but the present government has already arrested many of the accused including Muft Hannan and submitted a number of charge sheets.

JALIL'S RESPONSE
In response to Mannan Bhuiyan's plea for reconsidering the dialogue offer, Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star last night, "We've made it clear that we can't sit for a dialogue meant for diverting public attention. However, I can't say anything at the moment about the fresh call."

He said, "Let's see first what Mannan Bhuiyan had said and then we'll discuss it, if necessary, in the party forum."