Yunus-Tarique meeting has truly become a turning point: Fakhrul

The much-awaited meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London has truly turned into a turning point for the country, the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (13 June).

"The entire nation was anxiously waiting for the nearly two-hour meeting... And everyone was waiting for the outcome of this meeting," he told journalists at the BNP Chairperson's office in Dhaka's Gulshan in the afternoon.

"I had said earlier that this meeting could be a turning point. I express my utmost gratitude to Allah that this meeting has truly become a turning point," he added.

Fakhrul further said, "The main issue of discussion was Tarique Rahman's proposal that the election be held earlier, as April is not a suitable time for polls. In that case, the entire nation happily observed that the chief adviser agreed to this, and they set mid-February as election time."

"These two leaders proved today that the people of Bangladesh can still reach consensus when needed, and leaders can lead. That is how the people of Bangladesh will move forward," he added.

Lauding Tarique's leadership, he went on to say, "I would say that Tarique Rahman has once again proven that among the political parties of Bangladesh, he is the one who has the qualities of a statesman."

Stating that the entire nation was concerned about the outcome of Tarique's meeting with Yunus, as it would be their first in-person meeting, Fakhrul said the acting chief of BNP has succeeded. "I congratulate Tarique Rahman on behalf of my party.

"I also express my sincere gratitude to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. He has shown the dream of overcoming a deadlock by inviting Tarique Rahman with great discretion and taking the nation forward again."

He also said, "Immediately after the meeting with me, I spoke to Tarique Rahman. He paid tribute to those who have fought for democracy in these 15 years and the martyrs of 2024. He congratulated our leaders and activists.

"At the same time, he expressed gratitude to his mother and the mother of democracy, Khaleda Zia, for giving him the right direction."

Following the developments, Fakhrul called on all to be united to ensure a fair election.

"We need to forget all the petty squabbles that have taken place in the past, strengthen national unity, and resolve the problems so that we can quickly go to an election in mid-February in a fair and beautiful manner and fulfil the aspirations of the nation," he said.

He said, "We should transform the structure destroyed by the fascists in the last 15 years into a democratic structure. This is the most important thing – we are getting the opportunity to transition to democracy in 15 years.

The high-level meeting between the interim government chief and the acting head of the country's largest political party began at The Dorchester hotel, where Yunus is staying during his four-day trip to the UK, at 2pm Bangladesh time and continued till 3:30pm, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan, reports UNB.

At the meeting, Yunus and Tarique both agreed that it would be possible to hold the next national election in February next year before Ramadan if all necessary preparations are complete.

During the meeting, Tarique had asked Yunus to hold the elections before Ramadan, which is likely to start on 17 February -- subject to lunar sighting.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also believes that it would be better if the elections were held during that time, Yunus was told by Tarique at the meeting, said National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman during a post-meeting press briefing.

The interim government chief responded positively to Tarique's proposal.

Stating that he had announced that the elections would be held by the first half of April next year, Yunus said, "If all preparations are completed, the elections could be held in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026.

"In that case, it would be necessary to achieve sufficient progress on reforms and justice by that time."

Speaking at a joint press briefing after the meeting, BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, who attended the meeting, said his party is satisfied with the outcome.

Responding to a question from journalists, Khasru said, "We must work together with all parties to build a new Bangladesh, not only before the elections, but also after the elections."