BNP holds closed-door meeting with EU delegation

Senior Correspondent: BNP senior leaders on Thursday evening have held a closed-door meeting with a three-member delegation of the European Union (EU) ahead of the 11th parliamentary elections slated for December 30.

It is learnt that the BNP leaders shared their various concerns and observations over the upcoming elections with the EU delegation.

The three-member EU team, led by its Ambassador to Bangladesh Rensje Teerink, had around a one-hour and 45-minute meeting with the BNP leaders at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office in the capital.

The two other members of the EU delegation are election experts David Noel Ward and Eirini-Maria Gounari.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, organising secretary Shama Obaid and executive committee member Tabith Awal were, among others, present at the meeting.

However, both the sides declined to talk to media after the meeting.

According to a meeting source, BNP placed a number of allegations to the EU team over the elections. The allegations include the Election Commission’s (EC’s) failure to create a level-playing field, filing fictitious cases against their leaders and activists, the arrest and jailing of their leaders, including their candidates, the biased role of the Commission, and civil and police administrations.

Earlier in the day, the EU delegation also had a meeting with ruling Awami League leaders.


risingbd/Dhaka/Nov 29, 2018/Reza/AI