Yunus-Tarique meet today: BNP to ask for review of election date

Amidst discussion and debate over the schedule for the next national election, chief advisor of the interim government Muhammad Yunus and BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman will meet in London today. This will be the first meeting between the chief advisor of the interim government and the second top-most leader of the largest political party BNP, after the change of political scenario in Bangladesh following the 5 August mass uprising. This meeting is being seen as extremely important, with issue of reforms, the election timeframe and many other unresolved issues on the table.

Professor Yunus and Tarique Rahman will meet at Dorchester Hotel in London today, Friday, at 9:00 am GMT, when the time in Bangladesh will be 2:00pm. The duration of the meeting hasn't been fixed.

According to sources in the government and BNP, others from both sides may also be present at this meeting. BNP's standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has, in the meantime, already reached London. A few other BNP leaders in London may also attend the meeting. However, BNP and government sources say that Professor Yunus and Tarique Rahman will have exclusive talks for a certain span of time.
At the end of the meeting, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury may address a press briefing in London on behalf of BNP.

In a video message yesterday, Thursday, the chief advisor's press secretary Shafiqul Alam who is also in London at present, said, "There will be a one-to-one meeting. Then if the two (Yunus and Tarique) feel that others can join, the two leaders will decide accordingly."

Two other issues may be raised at the meeting, it has been learnt. One is, dropping controversial advisors from the government. BNP had earlier objected to the presence of three particular leaders in the government  and the senior leader of the party may raise this again at the meeting. BNP's leaders at the policymaking level feel that the controversial leaders should be removed from the government in the interests of the government's neutrality during election.

The other issue is to remove beneficiaries or collaborators of the former autocratic Awami League government from the government and administration. BNP leaders also feel that the issue of the much touted reforms will also be raised at the meeting. However, the BNP leaders will not broach this issue on their own accord. Meanwhile, BNP's standing committee have given the party's acting chairman the authority to make any decision in this regard if the issue of reforms is raised by the chief advisor's side.

Although it is not confirmed what specific issues might be prioritised in the meeting from the government's side, leaders of the National Citizens' Party (NCP), comprising youth who led the July uprising, believe that fundamental reforms and justice for the indiscriminate killings during the July movement will receive major attention. As a result, due to various reasons including elections, reforms, and the July Charter, there is considerable curiosity in all quarters surrounding this meeting between the two top leaders of the government and the BNP.

However, the chief advisor’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said in the video message yesterday that there is no fixed agenda for the meeting. “When they (Professor Yunus and Tarique Rahman) sit down, any issue relevant to this moment in Bangladesh may come up in the discussion.” Topics may include the current political situation, the upcoming national election, or the July Charter. The meeting is considered very important for Bangladesh and the political future of the country.

From the BNP’s side, the party’s secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has also described this meeting as the biggest “political event” of the current time. He believes the meeting could open up a new horizon. Meanwhile, the party’s senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, told journalists that he believes this will be a historic meeting, and it will bring a breath of fresh air to the country's politics.

Chief advisor of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, arrived in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, last Tuesday on a four-day visit. Even before his arrival, both BNP and government sources confirmed the possibility of a meeting between Muhammad Yunus and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. The political arena is viewing this meeting with great interest. If the talks prove fruitful, the gap or disagreements between the interim government and BNP regarding the possible election timeline, key reforms and the July Charter, among other issues, could begin to narrow.

Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the BNP’s standing committee, told Prothom Alo last night, “This meeting is taking place between the head of the government and the leader of the country's largest political party. We hope, and so does the nation, that the meeting will lead to positive and rational decisions, providing direction for the nation and guidance for the future governance of the state.”