DHAKA, Feb 27, 2025 (BSS) - Grassroots leaders of BNP who joined the extended meeting of the party said the meeting will have positive impact on forging further unity among party men across the country and encourage them to work for achieving people’s trust and confidence to win the next polls.   

They shared their views while talking to BSS during the extended meeting of BNP on LD Hall premises of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital.

"My eyes filled with tears after listening to speech of our party Chief Begum Khaleda Zia in the extended meeting after many years,” Tarekul Islam Raju, General Secretary of Muksudpur Upazila BNP in Gopalganj, told BSS about the extended meeting.

He said Begum Zia is the symbol of unity to all BNP leader and workers across the country.
 “The message we got from this extended meeting is that strong unity can thwart all conspiracies. We will fight all conspiracies by forging a strong unity," he said.

ATM Mizanur Rahman, who got party nomination from Cumilla-5 constituency in 2018 general election, said despite torture, persecution, enforced disappearance and murder of countless BNP leaders and activists during the Awami League regime, the party maintained a strong unity.

“We will move forward under the leadership of Begum Zia to establish a safe, democratic and humane Bangladesh,” he said.

Masudul Hasan, general secretary of Chaugacha Upazila, Jashore unit of BNP, said, “I am very happy to be here after a long time. We want such opportunities on various occasions to get party directives and share our opinions.”

He said the party needs to be organized further at the grassroots level by maintaining unity.
Central BNP assistant organizing secretary (Faridpur) Selimuzzaman Selim said the meeting will play a huge positive role among the leaders and workers at grassroots.
“You all know that during the tenure of fascist Sheikh Hasina, no meetings could be held normally in the country. I think the leaders at grassroots get energized from the meeting,” he said.

BNP Central Organizing Secretary (Barisal Division) Bilkis Jahan Shirin said Awami League government had destroyed all the state institutions of the country in the past 15-16 years as opposition parties and opinions had no value at that time.

BNP Khulna Divisional assistant organizing secretary Jayanta Kumar Kundu said, "I am very happy and optimistic to participate in the extended meeting. The message of unity given by party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in their speeches today will further enliven the party's leaders and activists.”

“On this day, we will have expectations from the party, that the leaders and activists who sacrificed themselves in the field should be evaluated properly. In addition, in the coming days, we should be able to move forward by holding the ideals of martyred President Ziaur Rahman. We can stand by the people and work for their welfare," he said.

The second extended meeting of the central committee formed through the sixth council held in March 2016 began at 11:10 am today at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad with the recitation of the Holy Quran.

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia addressed the meeting virtually from London as the chief guest while Tarique Rahman also joined virtually and delivered the opening speech.

At the beginning of the meeting, one minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs of the democratic movement and the party's deceased leaders in the last 16 years.

After the condolence motion, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir delivered a welcome speech. The condolence motion was read by the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.

After the speech of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman delivered the opening speech.

The opening session followed by a lunch break. After the Zuhr prayers and lunch break, the second session began. Leaders from all over the country spoke in this session.
The second session of the extended meeting will end at night with the closing speech of acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

The meeting was attended by members of the BNP National Standing Committee, members of the Chairperson's Advisory Council and members of the National Executive Committee.
The presidents, general secretaries or conveners and member secretaries of the party's 11 associate bodies and the party’s city, district, thana, upazila and municipal units also participated.

The candidates who received the party's nomination in the 11th parliamentary elections 2018 and the candidates who got nomination also participated in this meeting.

Earlier, on February 3, 2018, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia called an extended meeting of the party. Five days after that meeting, she was sent to jail on February 8 following the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, which BNP claimed a political harassment case.