BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the uncertainty has been removed through the meeting between the interim government's chief advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
“Everybody was expecting that this meeting could be a turning point. We express our gratitude to Allah that this meeting has truly turned into a turning point,” he said while talking to reporters at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Friday.
Mirza Fakhrul said Tarique proposed bringing the election date forward from April, as earlier announced by the Chief Adviser, since that time is not favourable for voting.
“The entire nation noticed with immense joy that the Chief Adviser agreed to it, and they (govt) fixed the election timeframe in the middle of February,” he added.
He thanked Prof Yunus, saying that using his prudence he invited Tarique to the meeting and thus ended the political stalemate for taking the nation forward with new hopes.
Fakhrul said a joint statement was issued after the meeting, clearly stating that the talks between the two leaders were held in a cordial atmosphere.
The BNP leader said the election issue was the prime one among other matters discussed at the meeting.
He said it is now necessary to move forward towards a fair election in mid-February by forgetting past misunderstandings and further consolidating the national unity.
Fakhrul said he spoke to Tarique Rahman soon after the meeting with Prof Yunus ended, and the BNP acting chairman expressed his gratitude and respect for those who carried out the struggle over the last 15 years, shed blood, and those who made sacrifices during the July-August mass uprising.
He said Tarique also paid homage to all martyrs and prayed for the salvation of their departed souls.
Besides, Fakhrul said the BNP acting chairman expressed gratitude to the country’s people for continuing their struggle for democracy and thanked them.
Earlier, a joint statement from the Chief Adviser and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was issued following their meeting in London.
MSH
