Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman sat down for a highly anticipated meeting today at The Dorchester Hotel in London’s Park Lane.
After the meeting ended, a joint press briefing was held, where National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke to the media.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The meeting began, as scheduled, at exactly 9:00am local time (2:00pm Bangladesh time), ending at around 10:30am, said Shayrul Kabir Khan of the party’s media cell.
Tarique left his London residence around 1:00pm Bangladesh time, accompanied by Amir Khosru and BNP International Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir.
As they reached the hotel, the BNP leaders were greeted by party activists gathered in front of The Dorchester earlier in the morning, holding banners, placards, and posters in anticipation of the meeting.
Videos showed Khalilur Rahman and Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam welcoming the BNP delegation and escorting them from the entrance of the hotel to the designated room.
Prof Yunus and Tarique Rahman exchanged pleasantries before the meeting began, with the BNP leader inquiring after the chief adviser’s health and passing along greetings from his mother and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, followed by a brief conversation about the weather.
Hope abounds
With this meeting, many hope the stalemate over the timing of the next election will finally end.
It is likely to be a one-on-one meeting, but Yunus and Tarique may decide if more people should attend, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said yesterday.
“This is going to be a very important meeting for Bangladesh ahead of the election… We are hoping that all issues will be discussed because one of them is the chief of the interim government and the other is the chief of the largest political party of Bangladesh,” he told reporters without going into details.
Yunus is now on a four-day visit to London, where Tarique has been living for nearly two decades.
Ever since the chief adviser’s UK visit was announced on June 4, speculations ran rife about the meeting, even though it was not in the CA’s itinerary.
On Tuesday, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the chief adviser had invited Tarique for a meeting at his hotel, The Dorchester. He confirmed that the meeting was happening.
As the CA recently said the election will be held in early April, Tarique may tell him that the election should be held sooner because the month of Ramadan will end in mid-March and those weeks would not be ideal for electioneering, said party insiders.
The current political situation, July Charter, and reforms may also come up for discussion, Shafiqul said.
The BNP maintains that the polls must be held by December this year, saying the reforms can be implemented much earlier.
Contacted, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, “Politics is the art of compromise. By making compromises, both sides can make arrangements for early elections at the right time for the nation.”
Important decisions about how the country will be governed in the future may be made after this meeting, he added.
“Through this meeting, we hope we will quickly move towards a democratic transformation. The faster we move towards a democratic transformation, the sooner a sense of relief will return and the other political problems will subside,” he added.
BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf told The Daily Star that the Yunus-Tarique meet will open a path to restore democracy in Bangladesh.
“We have urged our acting chairman to raise the issues that the BNP as a party had been talking about.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said, “Something good may happen for democracy and the country from this event. Any issue can be resolved through discussions.”
National Citizen Party Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said, “We hope the government will not bypass the trial for the July killings and reforms. In case the government gives a commitment about the election timing to anyone, the NCP will urge the government to reconsider that commitment.”
In a statement, Islami Andolon’s Joint Secretary General Gazi Ataur Rahman expressed hopes that Prof Yunus and Tarique will prioritise discussions on reforming party politics. The political culture has recently caused extreme frustration among the people.
“We expect the chief adviser to advise him on practising peaceful politics and talk about the way BNP is opposing the reform process. They should also talk about how the BNP is more accountable in establishing national consensus,” he said.
Ruhin Hossain Prince, general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh, said, “If the government changes its position and the election is held this year, it could be a step forward for the country’s development.
Political analyst and writer Mohiuddin Ahmad said the BNP may eventually accept elections in April.
Prof Dilara Chowdhury, a former teacher of government and politics at Jahangirnagar University, said the meeting could play a crucial role in resolving misunderstandings, fostering political consensus, and easing tensions.
“It will open a channel for negotiations and could reshape the political landscape,” she added.
Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Biplobi Workers’ Party, said, “If the election timing is set at the beginning of January or February, then a path may emerge to resolve the existing political crisis, instability, and uncertainty.
“The opportunity should not be wasted. And the BNP, of course, will want to move towards a reasonable solution to the crisis through discussions.”
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis’ Secretary General Jalaluddin Ahmad said, “We believe this meeting could be very crucial to shaping the future political direction if they reach a consensus on reforms and a framework for a credible election.”