Dhaka: BNP leaders today held a meeting with a high-level delegation from the European parliament. The hour-long closed-door meeting took place at 4:30pm at the European Union Embassy in Gulshan.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a five-member BNP delegation led by Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan participated in the meeting. Other members were Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP Acting Chairman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, International Affairs Secretary Nasir Uddin Asim, and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaed. The European Parliament delegation was led by Mounir Satour, Chair of the European Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights, along with Lynn Boylan MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine. Isabella Wieber-Lima from Luxembourg (EPP), Arkadiusz Mularczyk from Poland (ECR), Urmas Paet from Estonia (Renew Europe), and Katarina Vieira from the Netherlands (The Greens) also participated in the meeting.
After the meeting, Amir Khasru told reporters that the European Union expects democracy to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible. He stated that Bangladesh is approaching an election in the first half of February and that the European Union and the European Parliament are satisfied with the country’s movement towards an electoral process. Khasru emphasized the EU’s desire for Bangladesh to return to a democratic path swiftly through a transitional phase, noting that discussions included future plans, the EU’s role, and dialogues among various political parties.
Nazrul Islam Khan mentioned that his party requested increased trade cooperation from the EU. He highlighted the historical cooperation received from the European Union in Bangladesh’s development and in establishing democracy, expressing hope that this support will continue. Khan also noted that the EU agreed to increase trade cooperation with Bangladesh, showing their interest in strengthening economic ties.