BNP's extended meeting begins at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad. Photo: BSS

Dhaka, Feb 27, 2025 (BSS) - With the slogan 'Strong unity can stop conspiracy', the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) today began its extended meeting after seven years.

The second extended meeting of the central committee formed through the sixth council in March, 2016 began at 11.10 am at the LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad with the recitation of the Holy Quran.

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia spoke as the chief guest and party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman delivered inaugural address on virtual platform from London.

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

After that, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir delivered a welcome speech after reading the condolence motion.

The condolence proposal was placed by the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed.

In the meeting, eternal peace of departed souls of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko were sought.

Prayers were also sought for recovery of Begum Zia and sound health of Tarique Rahman.

After the opening speech, the party leaders are delivering their speeches. Then a lunch break will be given. The second session will begin after the Zuhr prayers and lunch break. Leaders from all over the country will deliver speeches in this session.

The second session of the extended meeting will end at night with the closing speech of Tarique Rahman.

The extended meeting is being attended by members of the executive committee, candidates nominated in 2018 national polls and who purchased nomination papers for the polls, presidents and secretaries of all organizational districts, upazilas, and members of the sub-committees formed at different times.

BNP standing committee members, vice-chairmen, advisers, district, metropolitan, police station, upazila presidents, general secretaries, members who participated in the 2018 national elections, and presidents and general secretaries of party and associate bodies are participating in the meeting.

Food and drink, dining, sanitation, medical services have been ensured for the invitees at the venue.

Three ambulances are ready at all times. There is a field hospital, which has some beds for providing emergency medical services.

BNP sources said that the party's plans, including election preparations, will be given utmost importance in this meeting in view of the upcoming 13th national elections.

The meeting has been called to evaluate the past movement and to get opinions on the party's work plan until the next parliamentary elections. It is expected that the statements of the grassroots leaders will reveal the position, popularity and communication of potential candidates in the respective parliamentary constituencies.

Earlier, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had called an extended meeting of the party at the Le Meridien Hotel in the capital on February 3, 2018. After that meeting, she was sent to jail on February 8 following the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.