BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is unlikely to invite Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at her younger son’s qulkhwani, date of which is yet to be decided.
Asked about qulkhwani of Koko, Khaleda Zia’s special assistant Shimul Biswas told reporters that the date would be informed to media once it would be finalised.
About Khaleda Zia’s sending invitation to Hasina to attend her son’s qulkhwani, a BNP insider close to Khaleda said Hasina’s aggressive remarks against the BNP chief, filing fresh cases against her, irked her. “It’s almost certain that madam (Khaleda) or BNP will not invite the premier to attend Koko’s qulkhwani,” he said.
The BNP leader also said the party chairperson on Wednesday night expressed her deep gratitude for those who came to visit her after demise of Koko and also said that she was very sorry for not being able to meet with them.
The party insider added the way Sheikh Hasina talked in the last two days about the BNP chief frustrated the senior group of BNP leaders who on January 25 decided to request Khaleda to invite Has ina to Koko’s qulkhwani.
A BNP leader who was present in that meeting said they had decided to ask Khaleda to invite the premier to the Qulkhwani and had even drafted a letter for Khaleda to send.
A number of senior BNP leaders in a close door meeting on that day agreed that the party had lost some political ground and there was a public outcry after Hasina went to visit Khaleda to console her but had to return without seeing her.
The leaders believed that they needed some damage control since the government seemed to have gained some political mileage.
Meanwhile, the BNP-led 20-party alliance will hold “special doa” today at different mosques after Juma Prayer for the salvation of the departed soul—“killed in the hands of law enforcement agencies and in petrol bombs thrown by the government’s agents” during the ongoing movement.
BNP joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed urged leaders and activists of BNP and alliance to hold the doa mahfil successfully and with due solemnity across the country.
The BNP-led alliance announced the programme on Wednesday night hours as the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance announced holding gayebana namaz-e-janaza today after Juma prayer remembering those who were killed “in the hands of 20-party’s criminals” in the name of their anti-government movement. – Staff Reporter
