Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is set to meet Bangladesh National Party (BNP) acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, the son of former PM Khaleda Zia, in a crucial meeting in London on Friday.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Rahman has been formally invited to a meeting on June 13 from 9 am to 11 am. The venue is reportedly the hotel where Yunus is currently staying during his four-day trip to London.
What to expect at Muhammad Yunus’s London meeting with BNP’s Tarique Rahman?
If the meeting paves way for a positive outcome, it would see the rivals of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina coming to an agreement ahead of the national elections in April 2026. With Hasina’s Awami League banned, Khaleda Zia’s BNP is the largest party in Bangladesh. Yunus is backed by the student-led Jatiya Nagorik Party, also known as the National Citizen Party, which was formed in 2024 by the protesting youth.
Rahman, who is the second-in-commandant of BNP, has been residing in the UK for more than a decade due to legal troubles with Hasina’s previous government. However, the meeting could lead to return of Rahman to his home country with Yunus helping him overcome legal woes.
His mother, Khaleda Zia, was in the UK for treatment from January to May. She is suffering from liver cirrhosis, heart ailments, diabetes, kidney issues and arthritis for a long time. Earlier, Zia claimed that Yunus being in power without being elected for around a year is a threat to democracy, calling on her party cadre to protests. If Yunus comes to an agreement with BNP leadership, this issue too could be resolved.
Last week, Yunus said the elections will be held in the first half of April, adding that the Election Commission would set out a detailed plan for the elections in due course.
Bangladesh army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman had in May pressured Yunus to hold the national elections by December this year. This was echoed by the BNP too. However, Yunus insisted on holding the elections only after implementing reforms.