Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia held a courtesy meeting with Chief Adviser to the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus today, Friday, on the sidelines of the Armed Forces Day event at Senakunja in the capital.
Earlier in the afternoon, Khaleda Zia arrived at Senakunja from her residence in Gulshan. After getting out of her car, she was taken to the venue in a wheelchair.
The chief guest at the event was Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. In his speech, the Chief Adviser said that the Bangladesh Armed Forces were born on the battlefield of 1971. The combined operations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force against the Pakistani forces on 21 November 1971 are commemorated with pride as a milestone in the Liberation War.
However, the armed struggle began on the night of 25 March. Had victory not been achieved, death sentences for these brave soldiers would have been inevitable, and life would have become unbearable for their families, he added.
Professor Yunus said that the joint operations of the Army, Air Force, and Navy on 21 November paved the way for the final victory of the independence struggle on 16 December. The operations of our armed forces in the 1971 Liberation War will remain written in golden scripts in the history of Bangladesh.
After arriving at Senakunja, Khaleda Zia spoke privately with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for a few minutes. They later joined the main event. The Chief Adviser and Khaleda Zia were seen sitting next to each other and conversing with smiles. This is the first time in a year that the BNP Chairperson has attended an event at Senakunja.
During the meeting, the Chief Adviser inquired about the health of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and wished her well. Khaleda Zia thanked him and inquired about the health of the Chief Adviser’s wife, Afroza Yunus. Syeda Sharmila Rahman, wife of Khaleda Zia’s younger son, the late Arafat Rahman Koko, was also present.
In addition, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam, and leaders of other political parties also held courtesy meetings with the Chief Adviser. Several government advisers were present at the event.