Jamaat chief Shafiqur met Khaleda Zia during London visit, reports Prothom Alo

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and  Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Abu Taher recently met with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia during their recent visit to London, according to a Prothom Alo report.

Citing unnamed BNP sources, the BNP chairperson, who is currently staying in London for medical purposes, met with the top Jamaat leaders there last Sunday (13 April).

The Jamaat ameer also admitted to meeting Khaleda, the report states.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday (15 April) night, he said, "I met Begum Zia. We worked together for many days. She is sick. It is our moral responsibility to look after her. We met after many days. We prayed for her, we asked her for prayers."

In response to the question of whether he had any talks with Tarique Rahman, the Jamaat ameer said, "When two people are together, a lot of things happen. A lot of things happened." However, he refused to provide any further details.

The report was published on Prothom Alo's website just hours after Khaleda Zia's former press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, in a Facebook post, wrote that the two Jamaat leaders recently met with Khaleda and returned to the country. 

"They met at the residence of the Zia couple's eldest son, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman. Tarique Rahman was also present during the long meeting. Begum Khaleda Zia is currently receiving treatment at her son's residence," he wrote in the post.

Maruf also claimed that both Jamaat leaders returned to the country following the meeting with the BNP leaders.

However, the PA report said Abu Taher was yet to return.

The Business Standard could not reach the Jamaat leaders immediately for their comments in this regard.