Staff Correspondent:

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Sunday said the current political situation appears to be quite reassuring following the recent meeting between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman in London.

Rizwana, who also holds the portfolios of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources in the interim government, said this in response to questions from reporters on the latest political developments at the Secretariat on the first working day after the Eid holidays.

“Now, political parties will express their views from their respective positions. If they have anything to discuss, surely they will convey it to the Chief Adviser,” she said.

When asked whether the tension between the government and the BNP over election-related issues has eased, the adviser said, “I don’t think there was anything of that sort in the first place. Whether it’s politics, elections, democracy or reforms — everything must progress through dialogue. That’s why I see the ongoing dialogue as a positive development,” she said.

Chief Adviser Dr Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman met for 90 minutes and agreed to hold the next election in the week before Ramadan 2026, instead of early April, if all preparations are completed in time.

A joint statement from the Chief Adviser and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was issued following their meeting in London, indicating that the talks marked a turning point in dispelling political stalemate and easing strained ties between the interim government and the country’s largest political party.