Talks with political parties begins Saturday, starting with BNP

The interim government will initiate a new phase of discussions with political parties on Saturday, starting with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The meeting is set to take place at 2:30pm at the state guesthouse Jamuna. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is expected to lead the party’s delegation, though the full list of senior leaders who will accompany him is yet to be finalised, according to sources within the party.

BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan confirmed the meeting. However, apart from Mirza Fakhrul, it remains unclear which other senior leaders will attend. Party insiders say the delegation will be finalised by Thursday.

On the same day, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will also meet with leaders from other political parties, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and the Left Democratic Alliance. 

The Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, speaking at a briefing on Wednesday evening, said that the Chief Adviser would resume dialogues with political parties, with advisers also present at the meetings.

Since the formation of the interim government on August 8, this will mark the third round of discussions between the advisory council and representatives from political parties. 

The upcoming talks will focus on briefing the parties on the progress of the six reform commissions, which have been tasked with reforming critical areas such as the electoral system, police, judiciary, public administration, and anti-corruption measures. 

Additionally, the government plans to discuss the current law and order situation and seek input from political leaders.

Shafiqul Alam also expressed optimism that the reform commissions would be fully established within the next two to three days.