Fakhrul leaves for New York at invitation of UN chief

Kabir Humayun: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday left Dhaka for New York City at the invitation of UN Secretary General António Guterres.
Party sources said the Emirates Airlines flight carrying Fakhrul accompanied by BNP executive committee member Tabith Awal took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2am.
Contacted, Shairul Kabir Khan, press wing member to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, told Banglanews that he isn’t acknowledged of it.
Shairul, however, didn’t deny that Fakhrul flew abroad.
The BNP secretary general would join a discussion arranged upon the overall political scenario of Bangladesh ahead of the national elections to be held at the UN Headquarters today, said sources.
A BNP team may hold meeting with the higher officials of US Department of State.
UN chief António Guterres invited Fakhrul to New York last week expressing his interest to hold discussion with BNP, said a reliable BNP source.
Sources said the invitation letter was sent to the BNP secretary general via the residential representative of UN in Bangladesh.
Fakhrul, in a meeting with the BNP standing committee members on Tuesday, disclosed the invitation from the UN secretary general.
Moreover, several other leaders from the BNP standing committee and diplomatic core are expected to leave for United States.
Talking to BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, he said, “I didn’t yet receive any official information regarding this.”