Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
A significant moment in Bangladeshi politics is expected to unfold in London. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced on Tuesday that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will meet in London on Friday (June 13), calling the encounter a potential watershed in Bangladeshi politics.
“The chief adviser has invited our acting chairman. The meeting will be held at the hotel where Yunus is staying, from 9:00am to 11:00am London time,” Fakhrul told reporters at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
He said the party’s Standing Committee, which discussed the invitation the previous night, has authorised Tarique to take decisions on any matter arising from the talks. “We hope this meeting will play a positive role in overcoming Bangladesh’s political crisis. Personally, I believe it could be a turning point,” Fakhrul added, describing the event as “a major political event” with both national and international significance.
Tarique Rahman, living in London with his family since September 12, 2008, joined Monday’s Standing Committee meeting virtually “despite his illness,” Fakhrul noted. Yunus arrived in the British capital on Tuesday morning for a four-day official visit aimed at enhancing bilateral relations with the United Kingdom.