TDS Desk:

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expressed regret over the confusion surrounding the invitations to its three leaders for the upcoming National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., scheduled for February 6.

The controversy arose after initial reports suggested that the invitations were extended on behalf of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, prompting misinterpretations about the event’s nature and significance.

“The invitation to BNP’s Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman was extended by Congressman Ben Cline (Republican) and Congressman Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat), who serve as co-chairs of the event,” read a statement issued on Sunday by BNP’s media cell.

The media cell also addressed any misunderstanding caused by media reports, apologizing for any confusion among the public.

In the statement, the convenor of the BNP’s media cell Professor Moudud Hossain Alamgir said that the National Prayer Breakfast is not organized by the U.S. government but by the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, a bipartisan, non-governmental organization.

Established in 1953, the annual event brings together U.S. presidents, senators, congress members, business leaders, and dignitaries from over 100 countries for prayers and discussions to foster global peace and fraternity.

Earlier, on Saturday, BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan had shared that the party’s Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman, Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury have received the invitation on behalf of Donald Trump to attend the event.

However, the US Embassy in Dhaka later clarified that the National Prayer Breakfast is not affiliated with the US government, adding to the confusion surrounding the invitations.