BNP leaders met with a high-level delegation from the European Parliament at the European Union Embassy in Gulshan. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Sept 17, 2025 (BSS)- BNP leaders today held a meeting with a high-level delegation from the European parliament. 

The hour-long closed-door meeting took place at 4:30pm at the European Union Embassy in Gulshan.

A five-member BNP delegation led by Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan participated in the meeting. Other members were Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP Acting Chairman's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, International Affairs Secretary Nasir Uddin Asim and Organizing Secretary Shama Obaed.

The European Parliament delegation was led by Mounir Satour, Chair of the European Parliament's subcommittee on human rights, 

Lynn Boylan MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Palestine. 

Isabella Wieber-Lima from Luxembourg (EPP), Arkadiusz Mularczyk from Poland (ECR), Urmas Paet from Estonia (Renew Europe) and Katarina Vieira from the Netherlands (The Greens) also participated in the meeting. 

After the meeting, Amir Khasru told reporters that the European Union expects democracy to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible. 
He said, "Bangladesh is heading towards an election. The election will be in the first half of February. The European Union and the European Parliament are satisfied that Bangladesh is moving toward an election. They want Bangladesh to return to a democratic path and a democratic process as quickly as possible through a transitional phase... We discussed these matters."

"In this context, our future plans, their role and discussions among various political parties were also brought up. The final point is that democracy needs to return to the country through an election as soon as possible and they (EU) want that. All of us who believe in democracy including the European Union want a democratic order to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible. The European Union wants to work toward this. The sooner we can all complete this task, the better it will be for the country and for democracy," he added.

Nazrul Islam Khan stated that his party requested increased trade cooperation from the EU. He said, "We have always received cooperation from the European Union both in Bangladesh's development and in establishing democracy. They have continued this cooperation and expect that democracy will return and be established in Bangladesh as soon as possible."

He added, "In addition to their cooperation in strengthening democracy, we have requested that the European Union increase its cooperation in trade with Bangladesh. They agreed to this and expressed their interest."