BNP chairman Tarique Rahman has paid a courtesy call on interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, marking his first formal meeting with him since returning from London.
The meeting took place on Thursday night at the state guest house Jamuna, where Yunus personally received Tarique. He was accompanied by his wife, Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter, Zaima Rahman.
Sources said the main purpose of the visit was to express gratitude to the chief adviser and the current government for their support, particularly during the final months of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s life.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the country’s overall political situation, the upcoming parliamentary election, and Khaleda Zia’s long political career. Yunus is said to have remembered her with respect, while Tarique thanked the government for the assistance provided to her at various stages of her treatment.
After the talks, members of both families joined a dinner hosted by the chief adviser.
Earlier on Thursday, the law adviser had told a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy that the meeting would be a courtesy call with no political agenda.
This was Tarique’s first meeting with Yunus since his return to Bangladesh. The two last met on 13 June last year at London’s Dorchester Hotel, when Tarique was serving as BNP’s acting chairman. That meeting was followed by a joint statement from both sides.
On 25 December, the day he returned home, Tarique spoke to Yunus by phone to thank him for the special security arrangements made for his arrival.
