Yunus-Tarique meet: ‘A potential turning point’

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman are set to meet in London on Friday, which analysts believe will help cut the gap between the party and the government over the timing of the national election.

BNP leaders also consider the planned meeting a significant turn in overcoming a standoff over the polls.

Before travelling to the UK on Monday, Yunus, in his Eid-ul-Azha address to the nation last Friday, said the election would be held in the first half of April next year after necessary reforms. The BNP, however, remains firm on its demand that the polls be held by December this year, saying the reforms can be implemented much earlier.

Speaking to journalists at the BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan yesterday, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the meeting is expected to take place between 9:00am and 11:00am (London time) at The Dorchester, the hotel where Yunus is staying during his UK visit.

"The chief adviser has invited our acting chairman," he said. "We hope this meeting will play a positive role in resolving the challenges facing the political landscape of Bangladesh."

In the context of recent political developments, he said, this meeting could prove to be a "turning point" in the country's politics if all goes as planned.

"This meeting is the most significant event at present and holds great importance both nationally and internationally. Many issues could be resolved through this meeting, and new dimensions may emerge," Fakhrul added.

Later yesterday, speaking to reporters in London, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed the meeting will be held on Friday morning.

Since Tarique Rahman is currently the leader of Bangladesh's largest political party and Prof Yunus is the head of the interim government, they will meet for discussions.

Shafiqul said the format of the meeting was not fixed yet. Various aspects of Bangladesh's current political situation, including the announced election timeline, the July Charter, reforms, and other relevant matters, may come up.

"The specific agenda will be decided by them [Yunus and Tarique]," Shafiqul added.

Speculations about a possible meeting between Yunus and Tarique gained momentum after the chief adviser's UK visit was announced, although the meeting was not included in his official itinerary.

Party insiders said Tarique may urge Yunus to bring the election date forward, arguing that April is not suitable for electioneering since Ramadan will end in mid-March.

BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said, "Political discussions will certainly take place, along with talks about the current situation in the country. We are hopeful that the chief adviser will reconsider his decision [regarding election date], and also discuss the overall situation of the country and the current political situation."

"He [chief adviser] may consider factors like the weather, Ramadan, and public examinations while determining an appropriate time for the election. Additionally, the discussion will cover many other important issues related to national security, politics, and the broader national context," he told this newspaper.

The BNP also has some observations and proposals to ensure the government's neutrality, he added.

Another senior BNP leader, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, said, "This is an opportunity to restore democracy, hold an acceptable and neutral election, and bring back a fair political environment."

BNP standing committee members have welcomed the proposed meeting, granting Tarique full authority to negotiate on the party's behalf.

During a meeting to exchange Eid greetings, they briefed Chairperson Khaleda Zia about the announcement of election timing.

According to sources, she told them, "An election is necessary, not a debate. It is better to avoid confrontation."

A standing committee member, who requested anonymity, interpreted this as a signal that the party should avoid escalating tensions and instead leave the door open for negotiations.

At a subsequent meeting on Sunday night, BNP's senior leadership briefed Tarique on recent political developments, including reform proposals, the roles of government advisers, and updates on local government elections.

The Standing Committee reiterated its position that the national election must be held under the interim government, but preferably before Ramadan.

Political analysts have also welcomed the development, seeing it as a possible breakthrough in Bangladesh's tense political impasse centring the polls.

They believe direct interaction may reduce a lack of trust between the BNP and the interim government and help soften the party's firm demand for polls by December.

Prof Dilara Chowdhury, a former teacher of Jahangirnagar University's government and politics department, described the planned meeting between Tarique and Yunus as a "very positive step".

"This meeting could play a crucial role in resolving misunderstandings, fostering political consensus, and easing tensions," she said, adding, "It opens a channel for negotiation and could reshape the political landscape."

Prof Dilara believes the meeting will dispel suspicions that Yunus may aim to stay in power beyond the interim period.

"The perception that the chief adviser wants to prolong his stay will be addressed. This is a moment of political maturity," she said.

She also said that the BNP might soften its position that the election must be held by December.

"Yunus is engaging directly with the [BNP]. That itself is a good political culture," she said.

Political analyst Al Masud Hasanuzzaman said that most of the previous interactions between the BNP and the government occurred without direct input from the party's top leadership.

"This meeting marks the first direct contact between BNP's top leader and the head of the government since the political upheaval. If any agreement emerges from it, the impact will be significant," he said.

Tarique, the eldest son of Khaleda, has been living in London since his release from prison during the state of emergency in 2008.

Under the Awami League regime, he was sentenced in five cases in absentia, while over a hundred cases were filed against him.

However, following the fall of the Awami League government in the July 2024 uprising, Tarique has been acquitted in all the cases in which he had been sentenced.

MEETING DECISION

Tarique joined the BNP's Standing Committee meeting virtually on Monday night, where the decision to meet Yunus was finalised.

Party sources said the BNP initially was not interested in such a meeting. Unease among senior leaders persisted over the government's lack of seriousness about their demand for polls in December despite informal communication from the chief adviser's office.

The party later agreed to the meeting, as the election schedule was expected to come up in the discussion between Tarique and Yunus.

Salahuddin said the situation became such that the meeting seemed "somewhat uncertain" since the chief adviser set an April timeline for the election.

"But even after a meeting at the chief adviser's office, communication was maintained. Given this context, we decided that political decorum necessitates a courtesy meeting," he said.