By IANS
Dhaka : Another new political party has been launched in Bangladesh, reportedly with official blessings, amid a national emergency and ban on political activities.
Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi Saturday announced the formation of the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), which would have some leaders of BNP and of the Jatiyo Party of former president H.M. Ershad.
This is the second party launched in a week. Jatiyo Party leader Shawklat Hossain Nilu Thursday floated the National Peoples Party, the Daily Star said Sunday.
The government has, however, disallowed the new parties from holding even indoor parleys while asking them to join a dialogue on "political reforms".
Asked if he had the government's "blessings", Qureshi said he had launched the new party with the "blessings of the people".
Within weeks of the imposition of the national emergency in February, Nobel Laureate and economist Muhammad Yunus floated a political party but backed out a month later saying that he did not get the requisite popular response.