Fakhrul says depicts country scenario at UN

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam on Monday night said he highlighted the country's political scenario during his recent meeting with the United Nations assistant secretary-general in New York.

"I conveyed the UN about the country's present political situation. We informed them about what they wanted to know," UNB quoted him as saying.

Fakhrul came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting of BNP standing committee members at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.

The BNP leader who went to the USA on Wednesday returned home on Sunday evening.

During his stay in the USA, the BNP leader had a meeting with UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs Miroslav Jenča at the UN headquarters on Thursday.

From Washington, Fakhrul went to London on Saturday and met the party’s acting vice-chairman Tarique Rahman before flying for home.

Replying to a question, the BNP leader said the UN assistant secretary-general said they will look into matters they discussed at the meeting.

He claimed that he went to the United Nations at the invitation of its secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

"It's clear that I went to the United Nations at the invitation of the secretary-general. As he (Antonio Guterres) was at the funeral of former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, we held talks with the assistant secretary-general who was in charge."

About his meeting with BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in London, Fakhrul said he discussed about the country's political situation with him.

BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed at a programme on Friday claimed that their party secretary general went to the UN headquarters at the invitation of the secretary general.

On Saturday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a programme accused BNP of resorting to falsehood over Fakhrul's visit to the US as it claimed the UN secretary general invited him.

She also said an assistant secretary general of the UN confirmed that the UN chief did not invite Fakhrul. "Rather, the BNP leaders sought his appointment."