The much-awaited closed-door meeting between the interim government’s chief advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is underway.
The meeting began at 9 am local time (2 pm Bangladesh time) on Friday at the Dorchester Hotel in London, UK. Akbar Hossain, Press Minister of the Bangladesh High Commission in London, UK, announced the start of the meeting.
Many see this meeting as a possible start to change the momentum of the political stalemate. There has also been excitement among UK BNP leaders and activists surrounding the meeting.
Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam expressed hope that the meeting between them would be fruitful. He also indicated that the discussions could yield positive messages for Bangladesh’s political progress.
The meeting is taking place amid the debate over the timing of the next national election. This is the first meeting or meeting between the head of the interim government and the second-highest leader of the country’s largest political party BNP since the political transformation of Bangladesh in the August 5 uprising last year. The meeting is considered very important in view of many unresolved issues, including important reforms and the timing of the election. After the meeting, it is reported that BNP’s standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury may brief the party in London.
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