British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Catherine Cooke met with BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday evening. The meeting was held at the BNP Chairman’s office in Gulshan.
This engagement marks the first meeting between the British High Commissioner and the BNP Chairman since his return to the country after residing in London for nearly one and a half decades.
Present at the meeting were BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Humayun Kabir, Advisor to the Chairman Mahadi Amin, and BNP International Affairs Secretary Rashedul Haque.
Earlier that afternoon, Ambassador of Nepal Ghanshyam Bhandari, and Ambassador of Bhutan Dasho Karma Hamu Dorjee also held separate meetings with the party leadership.
Speaking to journalists following the meetings, Humayun Kabir described the atmosphere of the discussions with the envoys from the United Kingdom, Nepal, and Bhutan as cordial. He stated that the ambassadors exchanged views on behalf of their respective governments.
The discussions touched upon Tarique Rahman’s return to the country and his various development plans should the BNP form a government in the future. Conversations also focused on how to improve bilateral relations and foster cooperation in different fields.
Kabir noted that there has been significant international interest surrounding the BNP chairman following his historic return on 25 December. He pointed out that the chairman’s willingness to meet with the high commissioner and ambassadors even on a weekend reflects this engagement.
According to Kabir, Tarique Rahman maintained that the party would build relations with different countries based on national interest, while upholding mutual respect and mutual interest.
Kabir added that foreign diplomats are showing interest in these meetings because they recognise Tarique Rahman’s popularity and the position the people of Bangladesh envision for him.
