DHAKA: Opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia hosted a high-profile iftar party for country’s top politicians on Tuesday at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, where the invitees crowded in, bar three specially invited bigwigs.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Party Chairman and ex-President HM Ershad were also invited, but they did not turn up.
Also conspicuous by his absence was another specially invited guest, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Monzur Alam.
Hundreds of leaders of different political parties attended the iftar.
Among them were Jatiya Party leader Kazi Firoz Rasid, Mostafa Jamal Haider and Salma Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Moqbul Ahmad, ATM Azharul Islam, Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini, Abdul Latif Nezami, Khelafat Mazlish leader Mohammad Isahak, Ahmed Abdul Kader, BJP leader Barrister Andalib Rahman Partho, Bangladesh Muslim League leader Advocate GA Khan, NAP (Bhasani) leader Sheikh Anwarul Haque, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party leader Shafiul Alam Prodhan, National Peoples Party (NPP) leader Sheikh Shawkat Hossain Nilu, National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Khandaker Golam Mortuja, Labour Party leader Dr. Mostafizur Rahman Iran, and Bangladesh NAP leader Zebel Rahman Gani.
Among the BNP leaders were Secretary-General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, standing committee members Dr RA Gani, Dr. Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sarker, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Nazrul Islam Khan, Brig (retd) ASM Hannan Shah and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the leaders of BNP and its front organisations.
Earlier, Begum Zia hosted an iftar party for orphans and Islamic scholars on the first day of Ramadan.
The ex-PM will host another iftar party for professionals and noted personalities on August 21.
Invitation was not extended to two breakaways from her party--former President Prof Dr AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and and ex-BNP minister and present LDP chief Col. (retd) Oli Ahmed.
BDST: 2215 HRS, AUG 17, 2010
