Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday (April 12, 2022) hosted an iftar party at a hotel in the capital in honour of foreign diplomats working in Bangladesh. Ambassadors, high commissioners, mission chiefs, charge d' affaires and other envoys from different countries attended the iftar.

Before the iftar, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir exchanged pleasantries with the guests at the party. In brief address, he said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia used to host an ifatr for foreign diplomats during Ramadan every year. "But she is now under house arrest."

Fakhrul urged all to try for complete release of Khaleda Zia from jail and for the restoration of democracy in the country. BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahamn also virtually addressed the programme, thanking the foreign envoys for joining the programme.

A munajat was offered before the iftar seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of the country and the welfare of its people.

Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan, US Ambassador Peter Haas, Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Berg von Linde, Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan took iftar with Mirza Fakhrul and BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain sitting at the same table.

Besides, British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson, Indian High Commissioner Vikram Kumar Doraiswami, Swiss Ambassador Nathalie Chuard, Norwegian Ambassador Espen Rikter-Svendsen and diplomats from some other countries, the European Union and the representatives from the UNHCR, UNDP, NDI and Democracy International participated in the programme.  

Educationists AFM Yusuf Haider, Prof Dilara Choudhury, Prof Mahbub Ullah, Prof Borhan Uddin, Prof Sukomal Barua, former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Inqilab editor AMM Bahauddin, BNP standing committee members Jamiruddin Sircar, Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, vice-chairmen Abdullah Al Noman, Shahjahan Omar, Altaf Hossain Chowdhury,  Abdul Awal Mintoo, M Shahjahan, Mir Nasir, Ahmed Azam Khan, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and Nitai Roy Chowdhury  among others, were present.