Leaders of BNP on Sunday shared their concerns with foreign diplomats that the democratic future of Bangladesh will be at stake if the next general election here is not held in a fair and credible manner with the participation of all parties.
"If we fail to ensure holding of a free, fair, acceptable and inclusive election, the democratic future of the country will be destroyed," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told an Iftar party at a hotel in Dhaka.
He further said: "In today's globalized world when we share our concern with our foreign friends, we're also convinced that we'll have to take forward our struggle of our own."
Ambassadors, high commissioners, mission chiefs, charge d' affaires and other envoys from about 35 countries attended the iftar.
Mirza Fakhrul and party Standing Committee members received the guests and exchanged pleasantries with them.
Foreign diplomats and top BNP leaders at an iftar event organized by the party at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday | Courtesy
In a brief address prior to iftar, Fakhrul said: "Our Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has been spending a difficult time within the four walls of an abandoned house re-designated as a prison for no fault of hers. As days pass the travesty of justice is getting exposed every day."
Sixteen High Commissioner and Ambassadors, including Dean of Diplomatic Corps Ambassador of Vatican to Bangladesh Archbishop George Kocherry, Chines Ambassador Zhang Zuo, Indian High Commissioner Harsha Bardhan Shringla, Canadian High Commissioner Benoit Préfontaine, Australian High Commissioner Julia Niblett, and Netherlands' Ambassador Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere, were present.
Besides, envoys from the USA, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Norway, Pakistan, Denmark, Sweden, Vietnam, France, the Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, the EU and some other countries and international organizations attended the programme.
Apart from Fakhrul, BNP senior leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdullah Al Noman, Hafizuddin Ahed, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, Mir Mohammad Nasir, Selima Rahman, Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed were, among others, present.
