Will Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus have any formal meeting or courtesy call with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman during his upcoming visit to the UK? This question is now circulating in the political and diplomatic circles of Dhaka. There is widespread curiosity among the general public, in addition to political leaders and activists. Especially in the context of Tarique Rahman’s recent demand that ‘elections must be held by December’ and Prof Yunus’ comment in Tokyo that ‘only one party wants elections in December’, everyone’s eyes are now on the possible London meeting. However, no diplomatic or political source in Dhaka or London has yet been able to confirm the finalisation of this meeting.
Sources involved in the communication regarding the proposed meeting between the chief adviser and the BNP acting chairman have confirmed that efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between the two leaders in London. Formal and informal contacts are continuing from the government side. However, the distance created between the government and BNP and like-minded parties on the issue of announcing the date and roadmap for the national elections has become a bit of a hindrance in organising the possible London meeting.
Sources say that the BNP is insisting on a policy consensus on the possible date of the elections and the electoral roadmap in advance as a condition for this meeting. The government is saying that the courtesy meeting between the head of government and the BNP leader will create an opportunity to discuss the election timeline. In informal communication, BNP has emphasised the need to set a specific agenda before agreeing on the meeting. As a result, the uncertainty about the possible London meeting has not disappeared at the time of writing this report.
However, a source says that a senior official who was instrumental in arranging a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent visit of the chief adviser to Bangkok is going to London immediately after Eid to finalise the arrangements for the meeting with the BNP acting chairman. However, the party had demanded his resignation due to a recent comment made by the official on the stay abroad of BNP top leader Tarique Rahman, who was forced to live in exile in Britain due to the oppression of the 1/11 government and the trap of the Awami League government in cases and constant harassment. In this context, it is still uncertain whether he can play any effective role in mediating the London meeting.
Incidentally, since assuming the charge of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has met and held meetings with top leaders of political parties on various occasions. Although he met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia at the Armed Forces Day ceremony, he has not met the acting chairman of BNP who is in exile in the UK so far. That is why there is a lot of talk about the possibility of a meeting and meeting between the two leaders in London after Eid. Meanwhile, during Khaleda Zia’s stay in London, Tarique Rahman met with Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Abdullah Mohammad Taher in his presence.
Prof Muhammad Yunus will leave for the United Kingdom on Monday, 9 June, on his 11th foreign tour since forming the government last August. He is expected to meet with British King Charles III at Buckingham Palace the next day, according to sources at the Bangladesh High Commission in London. During the four-day visit, he will receive the prestigious ‘King Charles Harmony Award’ from British King Charles III on 12 June.
During the visit, the chief advisor is likely to meet British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, Speaker of the British Parliament, and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and IMO. The dates and times of these possible meetings have not yet been finalised. These meetings are likely to discuss issues of bilateral interest, especially economic cooperation, the Rohingya issue, and global political issues, including the return of money laundered in the UK during the previous government. Along with high-ranking government officials, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur and Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Dr MA Momen are accompanying the chief adviser on this visit.
Dr Yunus will attend an event at the think tank Chatham House on 11 June. The next day, he will interact with the Bangladeshi community. More than 100 expatriate Bangladeshis are being invited to the meeting. However, the venue for the interaction meeting has not been announced yet. It is reported that the chief adviser may visit the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). He may give interviews to the BBC, ITV, the Guardian and the Times.
Meanwhile, the UK Awami League and its affiliates have announced a programme of protests and black flag displays during Prof Muhammad Yunus’ visit. Due to this, the location of the chief advisor and his presence at various programmes during the visit has to be kept secret. It is learnt that he will leave for the country on Friday, 13 June after the visit.
Since taking over as the chief adviser, Prof Yunus has visited 10 countries so far. Last September, he attended the UN General Assembly in New York. In November, he attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. In December, he attended the D-8 Conference in Cairo. In January, he attended the World Government Summit in Dubai. In the same month, he went to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum. During his visit to China in March, he attended the Boao Forum. In April, he attended the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, the Arethana Summit in Doha, and went to Vatican City to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Most recently, he attended the Nikkei Forum in Tokyo.
