Bikalapadhara Bangladesh leader AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury on Thursday attended an iftar party hosted by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Badruddoza Chowdhury and Khaleda sate side by side on the dais, nine years after he was unseated as president of the country by BNP.
It was also his first meeting with her since June 21, 2002, when he had to quit as the president of the republic and founded his own political party.
Badruddoza had nothing to do with BNP, of which he was a founding member, since then.
But they put behind the distance of nine years, to get together again on a common cause ensuring fair elections in Bangladesh.
Badruddoza Chowdhury and Khaleda Zia exchanged greetings and felt at ease speaking to each other over iftar.
Son, Mahi B Chowdhury accompanied Badruddoza Chowdhury.
The iftar over, Khaleda met the leaders of parties outside BNP-led alliance over tea and discussed latest political developments. The iftar party hosted by the leader of the opposition for politicians at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre was largely attended.
Oili Ahmed, the president of Liberal Democratic Party, a BNP breakaway group, sat next to Badruddoza.
None representing ruling Awami League attended though Khaleda Zia invited prime minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and its general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.
Jatiya Party presidium member Kazi Zafar Ahmed was the lone participant from the ruling alliance.
Krishak Sramik Janata League president Kader Siddiq attended accompanied by a large delegation of his party.
JSD president ASM Abdur Rob attended as did Kalyan Party president Syed Muhammad Ibrahim.
Badruddoza Chowdhury and ASM Rob told enquiring reporters that they would refrain from saying anything while attending an iftar party.
Rob, however, did not rule out the possibility of joining the BNP-led alliance saying, ‘You can’t predict what would be happen in the next minute.’
Khaleda arrived at the venue well ahead of the iftar to welcome the guests.
Among the guests were acting amir of Jamaat Maqbul Ahmad, acting Jamaat secretary general ATM Azharul Islam, Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Andaleeve Rahman, its secretary general Shamim Al Mamun, Islami Oikya Jote secretary general Abdul Latif Nezami, Khelafat Majlis amir Muhammad Ishaq and secretary general Ahmad Abdul Quader, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party president Shafiul Alam Pradhan, National People’s Party chairman Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu, Labour Party acting chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, Islamic Party chairman Abdul Momin, Muslim League president Nurul Huq Majumder, National Awami Party president Jebel Rahman Gani, NAP (Bhasani) president Sheikh Anwarul Huq and Bangladesh Jatiya Party secretary general Abu Naser Muhammad Rahmatullah.
After the iftar, Badruddoza Chowdhury, ASM Rob, Oli Ahmed, Syed Ibrahim and Mahi B CHowdhury joined discussions with Khaleda over tea.
-With New Age input
