BNP's extended meeting was held on Thursday amid festivities and enthusiasm in the field adjacent to the LD Hall of the Parliament building, with several thousand leaders and activists from across the country in attendance.
The meeting, held after six years, reiterated the implementation of BNP's 31-point Reform Agenda programme and pledged to fight for ensuring democracy through national elections. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and the party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, in their virtual speeches from London, urged BNP leaders and activists to forge rock-like unity in preparation for the upcoming national elections.
Leaders began entering the meeting venue at 8:30 am with ID cards around their necks. Members of the reception committee greeted the leaders with bouquets of roses and marigolds.
The meeting commenced at 11:05 am with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a one-minute silence in memory of leaders who died in the "democratic movement" over the last 16 years.
The meeting focused on four key agendas: the current political situation, preparations for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary elections, maintaining party discipline, and strengthening relations with allied parties.
The meeting was presided over by the party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, who addressed the party leaders and activists.
In the first session, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia addressed the meeting as the chief guest, while BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir delivered the welcome address.
The inaugural session featured a screening of the documentary 'Prothom Bangladesh, Amar Shesh Bangladesh' produced by the Extended Meeting Implementation Media Sub-Committee.
Additionally, Amra BNP Poribar published a magazine titled 'Aastha' (Trust) to mark the event.
Around 4,000 central and grassroots-level leaders, including presidents, general secretaries, or conveners and member secretaries of BNP's 11 affiliate and associate organisations, as well as leaders from metropolitan, district, and sub-district committees, participated in the meeting.
Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks were arranged for the guests.
The grassroots leaders and activists highlighted the political situation in the country after August 5 and various internal problems within their respective constitutional areas.
The first session concluded by noon, while the second session, held behind closed doors, resumed in the afternoon.
The third session of the meeting started at 2:30 pm. Senior party leaders delivered speeches during the second session.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Zamir Uddin Sarkar, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salah Uddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed were on the main stage for the meeting.
Portraits of party founder Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia, and Tarique Rahman were set up around the stage.
The event was chaired by the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Rizvi said that the closed-door working session would continue until night. After that, Tarique Rahman would deliver a policy-setting speech.
The BNP's 31-point reform programme was highlighted through large placards outside the walls of the parliament.
Since there were restrictions on entry to the extended meeting aside from invited guests, a large number of party activists and supporters took up positions outside the parliament complex.
The last BNP extended meeting was called by Khaleda Zia on February 3, 2018, at the Le Meridien Hotel in Dhaka.
Just five days later, on February 8, 2018, she was sent to jail in a corruption case.
