Yunus-Tarique meeting a ‘turning point’: Mirza Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has termed the meeting between chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman as a ‘turning point’.

“There was widespread uncertainty, with many speaking different things. Today, these two leaders have proven that the people of Bangladesh can still unite in times of need,” he said at a press briefing at the party office in the capital’s Gulshan area on Friday.

Professor Yunus and Tarique Rahman held a nearly one-and-a-half-hour meeting at a hotel in London, beginning at 2:00 pm (Bangladesh time) on Friday.

Following the meeting, a joint statement noted that if all preparations are completed, the national election could be held in the week prior to the holy month of Ramadan in 2026 (First half of February).

Mirza Fakhrul said the joint statement confirms that the timeframe previously announced by the interim government was not deemed suitable.

The chief adviser has agreed to move the election schedule to mid-February in response to Tarique Rahman’s proposal, he stated.

The BNP secretary general also said now is the time to forget the past and fulfill the nation’s aspirations by holding the election around mid-February. Through the success of this meeting, Tarique Rahman has demonstrated the qualities of a true statesman.