Abe hopes BD parties to find out a solution: BNP

Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia expressed the hope on Saturday that the major political parties in Bangladesh will be able to find out an acceptable solution to their ongoing political problem, claimed BNP, reports UNB.

"The Japanese Prime Minister told the BNP Chairperson his country is aware that many major political parties didn't join the January 5 polls. He hoped that the major parties through talks will be able to reach a solution which will be acceptable to Bangladesh people and international community," said BNP vice chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury.

Mobin was briefing reporters after the meeting between Abe and Khaleda at the Japanese PM's Sonargaon Hotel suite in the evening.

The meeting started around 7pm and concluded 7:3opm.

During the meeting, Mobin said, the Japanese PM and the BNP chairperson agreed that democratic rule, the rule of law and human rights are indispensable for a country like Bangladesh to keep up the trend of socio-economic development.

Khaleda Zia, also a former Prime Minister, on behalf of the people of the country, thanked Japanese Prime Minister for his country's outstanding contributions towards Bangladesh's socioeconomic development since its independence.

The two leaders discussed various issues relating to the mutual interests of the two friendly nations, Mobin said.

Both Abe and Khaleda termed the ties between Bangladesh and Japan well-cemented and multidimensional.

The BNP chief also thanked Shinzo Abe for visiting Bangladesh 14 years after the then Japanese Prime Minister's visit in 2000.