Khaleda invites Hasina to iftar party

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday invited Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to her iftar party scheduled for June 11.

Khaleda will host the iftar party in honour of political leaders at city's Bashundhara International Convention Centre.

The BNP chief also invited 12 other ruling party leaders, including its General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, to take part in the iftar party.

A five-member BNP delegation, led by its Organising Secretary Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, went to AL President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office with an invitation card of the iftar party on behalf of Khaleda.

AL Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das received the card on behalf of Hasina, who is now in Saudi Arabia.

Talking to journalists, Dulu said, “The BNP chairperson invited Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to her iftar party. We hope she'll join it.”

The BNP leader also said his party chief is going to host four iftar parties -- for orphans and alem-ulema on the first day of Ramadan, for politicians on June 11, for professionals on June 12 and for diplomats on June 13 -- during this fasting month.

The chiefs of the country's two major political parties greet each other during the two Eids and Pahela Baishakh and invite each other to their iftar parties every year though they have long been avoiding each other to personally meet or exchange pleasantries.