BNP to invite PM to Koko's qulkhwani

There seems to be a fresh possibility of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia meeting as senior BNP leaders have decided to request the BNP chief to invite Hasina to Koko's qulkhwani.

On Sunday, a number of senior members of BNP's national standing committee in a meeting agreed that the party had lost some political ground and there was a public outcry after Hasina went to visit Khaleda to console her but had to return without seeing her, meeting sources said.

The leaders believed that they needed some damage control since the government seemed to have gained political mileage while the BNP had lost out.

A senior BNP leader who was present at the closed-door meeting at Khaleda's Gulshan office, said they had decided to ask Khaleda to invite the premier to the Qulkhwani and had even drafted a letter for Khaleda to send.

Nazrul Islam Khan, a member of BNP national standing committee, yesterday said, "We will urge the chiefs and leaders of all political parties to attend the Qulkhwani and pray for the salvation of the departed soul."

The Qulkhwani may be held on Friday at Azad Mosque in Gulshan.

The BNP's senior leaders at the meeting also decided to publicly regret what had happened with the premier on Saturday night.

"It was not appropriate … not showing proper respect to the prime minister," Moudud told media after the meeting. He also said the BNP chief was unaware of Hasina's visit as she was almost unconscious.

“We could not contact her [Khaleda] as her room door was closed from the inside,” Moudud said, adding that senior leaders were unaware that the main gate was locked.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday night had to return from the gate of BNP chief's Gulshan office as it was locked from the inside.

Her desire to console Khaleda after the latter's son passed away had made people hope that a meeting between the two top leaders might contribute to reducing the rivalry between them, paving the way for talks to end the political impasse.

Alongside people, some ministers and AL senior leaders started criticising the BNP since Sunday for “denying the premier entry into Khaleda's Gulshan office”.

Even at the end of the yesterday's cabinet meeting the issue was raised by State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haq Chunnu. He lauded the prime minister for going to the BNP chief's office.

In response the prime minister said she had been dishonored there, meeting sources claimed.

Some ministers then commented that they had gained politically from the incident but meeting sources quoted her, "I did not go there for any political purpose. As a mother I went there to meet another mother."