London, UK, June 13 (V7N) – A highly anticipated, closed-door meeting between Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is being held today at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The two-hour-long discussion, scheduled from 2 pm to 4 pm BST (9 am to 11 am local time), has generated immense excitement and anticipation across Bangladesh and among its diaspora.

People from all walks of life, including political analysts, leaders, activists, and democracy advocates, are keenly awaiting the outcome of this historic discussion, hoping it will mark a turning point in the country's political landscape.

While neither side has officially disclosed the agenda for the meeting between these two pivotal figures, it is widely expected that recent political developments, including key issues related to elections, justice, and comprehensive reforms, will dominate the discussions.

Senior BNP leaders have indicated that Tarique Rahman, representing the party, will advocate for the national election date to be set in the first half of February. Conversely, from the government's side, Dr. Yunus is expected to push for an election deadline in the first half of April, prioritizing extensive reforms and justice processes.

Other significant topics anticipated to be on the table include the relevance of Tarique Rahman's return to Bangladesh, the "July Charter," the removal of individuals associated with the previous "autocratic" regime from various sectors including the administration and Election Commission, the unaddressed court verdict concerning Engineer Ishraque Hossain's swearing-in as Dhaka South City Corporation mayor, the future structure of the caretaker government, and matters related to the humanitarian corridor and port system.

Sources from the BNP UK branch revealed that informal discussions to determine the meeting's agenda took place last Wednesday between Tarique Rahman's delegation and a representative of the Chief Adviser visiting London. Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed in a video message that a representative of Tarique Rahman also met with the relevant government representative on Thursday.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed strong optimism about the meeting to BSS on Thursday night. "We are very optimistic about this meeting. Not only us, but the entire country's attention now is on London. Surely, a logical solution will come through the meeting between the two leaders. It will open the way for compromise. Through which, according to the expectations of the nation, a way will be found to move the country forward through a democratic process," he stated.

BNP standing committee member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain echoed this sentiment, saying, "The entire nation is expecting that all the political crises in the country will be resolved through this meeting. We also believe that this will be a historic meeting. This meeting will bring good news to the country's politics. A nationally acceptable decision will be reached through these high-level discussions."

In a show of solidarity, UK BNP President and Chairperson's Advisor MA Malek confirmed that the UK BNP held a preparatory meeting on Tuesday night to welcome the meeting between Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman.1 Local leaders, activists, and supporters began gathering in front of the Dorchester Hotel this Friday morning and plan to remain there throughout the duration of the meeting.

END/MSS/RH/