BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will not visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah during Ramadan this year.
Party officials said there was no previous official version that she would go to perform Umrah this year and so, there is no question of uncertainty over the matter.
However, party acting spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said Khaleda will not go to Saudi Arabia this year leaving senior party leaders detained.
On the other hand, a senior leader of the party seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that Khaleda’s elder son Tarique Rahman is yet to get visa to perform Umrah.
“And that’s why Khaleda’s Saudi Arabia visit became uncertain,” he said.
The former premier was scheduled to leave Dhaka last night at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s government to perform Umrah.
Meanwhile, an official of the party Gulshan office provided a complete different version saying that a list of 15 members was sent to Saudi embassy on behalf of Khaleda Zia but the embassy did not want to entertain all 15 members as state guests.
This year, Tarique Rahman, his wife and children, Arafat Rahman Koko’s wife and children, Khaleda’s younger brother Shamim Iskandar and his wife Kaniz Fatema and two officials of Gulshan office were in the list of 15 members.
And an assistant of Khaleda Zia was also included in the list.
He also said the Saudi Embassy did not agree to entertain all the 15 members as state guests.
But Shamsuddin Didar, an official of Gulshan office said: “There was no schedule that Khaleda Zia would go to perform Umrah this year. So there is no question of cancellation of her visit,”
“Party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and many other senior leaders are now behind bars. Madam (Khaleda) thinks she should stand beside them. That’s why she decided not to go for Umrah this year.”