Japan envoy meets BNP leaders, talks about political situation

Japan envoy meets BNP leaders, talks about political situation

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday, a day after attacks on some leaders of the party in Dhaka and Comilla.

The meeting which started at 10am at BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office ended around 11:30am.

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Organizing Secretary Shyama Obaid were present at the meeting.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Amir Khasru, also the convener of BNP's foreign affairs committee, said the Bangladesh-Japan relationship is a long-standing one. “Japan is our largest bilateral donor.”

He said they discussed various issues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries alongside the latest political situation in Bangladesh.

Asked whether the recent attacks on the opposition parties came up in the discussion, he said: "I have already said we talked about contemporary political issues.

Earlier on Saturday night, some BNP leaders including Selima Rahman, Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Organizing Secretary Shyama Obaid and Executive Committee member Tabith Awal, suffered injuries as ruling party activists reportedly attacked a candlelight vigil program of the opposition party on Kemal Ataturk Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Banani.

Tabith, a BNP’s foreign affairs committee member, was admitted to United Hospital for treatment with a head injury.

Earlier on the day, four people including BNP Vice Chairman Barkatullah Bulu and his wife, were injured in an attack by miscreants at Monohorganj upazila in Comilla.