Khaleda-Biswal meeting underway

Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal sat in a meet with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Friday evening. The meeting started around 6:10pm at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan residence. BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP chairperson’s advisers Reaz Rahman and Sabihuddin Ahmed and BNP vice-chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena are, among others, present at the meeting. Nisha Biswal also had a meeting with Khaleda during her earlier visit to Bangladesh late last year, a few weeks before the January-5 national elections. BNP sources said issues relating to the country’s latest political situation, the US’ position about the current regime, January-5 polls and a fresh election are likely to come up for discussions at the meeting. On Thursday, Biswal arrived in Dhaka on a 3-day visit with schedule of holding a series of meetings with high-level government officials, BNP chief Khaleda Zia and labour, RMG sector and business community leaders. This is Biswal’s 2nd trip to Bangladesh as she had been here soon after taking over as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs on October 21, 2013, according to a news agency.