DHAKA: A writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives for holding dialogue between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to end the ongoing crisis.

Advocate Yunus Ali Akand filed the public interest litigation in the concerned unit of the HC on Thursday morning.

Head of 20-party alliance and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, 14-party alliance chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, cabinet secretary, Home Secretary and Chief Election Commissioner were made the defendants in the writ.

Earlier in 2013, the High Court issued a rule asking the two leaders to hold dialogue in response to a similar public interest litigation filed by the same lawyer.  Later, the rule had been dismissed.

The petitioner said hartal and blockade programmes, which have recently claimed many lives, are the outcomes of the country’s ongoing political situation.  So, the petition was filed seeking HC directives to hold dialogue aimed at ending political confrontation for greater interest of the country’s 16 crores of people.

BDST: 1153 HRS, JAN 22, 2015