The US ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan W Mozena, met BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia Thursday evening amid growingpolitical unrest over the disappearance of opposition leader M Elias Ali.
Coming out of the meeting thatlasted about 45 minutes, Mozena declined to talk to media, walked straight tohis car and left the Gulshan office of BNP chief.
And none from BNP briefed themedia about what was discussed at the meeting. However, the opposition partyusually briefs media after such meetings. Earlier in the morning, Khaleda'spress secretary Maruf Kamal Khan informed journalists that Mozena wanted tomeet the BNP chief. BNP's acting secretary generalMirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP chief's adviser Reaz Rahman, vice-president ofthe party Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury and Sabihuddin Ahmed attended the meetingamong others.
Earlier on Tuesday, the USambassador told reporters at his residence that they were worried over theIllias Ali affair. He called on everyone to react rationally in finding outIlias Ali. Mozena also urged the opposition to assist the government in theaffair.
M Elias Ali, one of BNP'sorganising secretaries and also a former MP, has been missing since Apr 18. TheBNP had been accusing the government of abducting him.
BNP recently enforced a three-daycountrywide shutdown demanding the government return Elias Ali. At a mediabriefing on Tuesday, the party chief gave the government an ultimatum to findout Elias Ali by Saturday and warned that if he was not found tougher agitationprogrammes would be announced from Sunday.
The following day, leaders of the newly formed 18-Party Alliance hinted that they might enforce nonstop shutdownfrom Sunday if Ali was not found by the deadline.
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