Tarique to meet CA Yunus Friday in London – can be a major turning point: Fakhrul

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who is currently visiting the United Kingdom, in London on Friday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party's secretary general, announced in Dhaka today (10 June).

"The chief adviser has invited our acting chairman to a meeting. The meeting will be held at the hotel where he [CA Yunus] is staying," Fakhrul said while speaking to reporters after exchanging Eid greetings at the BNP chairperson's office in Dhaka's Gulshan.

The meeting is set to take place between 9am and 11am London time, he added.

The announcement comes at a time when the interim government and the BNP are at loggerheads over timing of holding the next national elections.

Yunus has announced that the 13th parliamentary elections will be held on a date in the first half of April 2026. However, the BNP is against the plan and has been demanding for long that the election be held by December this year.

'Can be a major turning point'

Fakhrul said the meeting could prove to be a major turning point if all goes as planned.

He, however, mentioned that there is no specific agenda for the meeting.

The BNP secretary general said Tarique, despite being physically unwell, had convened a meeting with the party's Standing Committee members to discuss the upcoming meeting with Prof Yunus.

Fakhrul noted that the Standing Committee has welcomed the planned formal meeting, viewing it as significant both nationally and internationally.

"This meeting holds a lot of potential and dimensions," he said, suggesting that the dialogue could lead to important developments.

"We hope this meeting will play a positive role in resolving the challenges facing the political landscape of Bangladesh," said the senior BNP leader.

He said, "Many issues could be resolved through this dialogue, and new dimensions may emerge."

Fakhrul said the meeting holds immense potential, though it ultimately depends on how the chief adviser and the BNP acting chairman choose to advance those possibilities.

On behalf of the BNP, he said full authority has been given to Tarique to make decisions during the meeting.

Speculation about a possible Yunus-Tarique meeting had been circulating ever since the chief adviser's UK tour was announced. However, the meeting was not included in his official itinerary.

CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Monday told a TV channel, "Tarique Rahman is the leader of a major political party in Bangladesh, and a meeting with the chief adviser during his visit to London would be a positive message for the country."

The report came hours after Maruf Kamal Khan, former press secretary of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, said in a Facebook post that Prof Yunus will meet Tarique during his UK visit.

The chief adviser reached London at around 12:30pm Bangladesh time today on a four-day UK visit.

During his visit, CA Yunus is expected to hold discussions with UK authorities on repatriating money laundered from Bangladesh and attracting investment to the country's renewable energy sector, among other topics.

'Election timing should be based on reality'

The BNP iterated that the government should rethink its election timing taking the matter into account based on realities.

Fakhrul said, "We said the time [as announced by the government] is not good for the election. The month of Ramadan will end, Eid will be over, and then the election will be held a few days later. Just think about the conditions that candidates and political activists will have to endure throughout Ramadan."

Elections cannot be held in April; must be conducted by December: Salahuddin 

He said they are worried that they will have to arrange iftar parties every day, which will contribute to making the election expenses double.

Fakhrul also highlighted the difficulties of running an election campaign during Ramadan, especially considering the extreme heat and the potential for rain and storms.

"Our party has said the election is possible by December, and we firmly believe this is a viable option," he said.

The BNP leader urged all, including political parties, organisations, and social media activists, to refrain from dividing the nation.