Khaleda likely to visit India in March
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is likely to visit India in mid March to join the World Cultural Festival to be held in New Delhi, according to party sources. Belgium-based public interest foundation World Forum for Ethics in Business and global educational and humanitarian movement The Art of Living foundation will jointly organise the festival on March 12-13. The organisers have already sent an invitation letter to the former premier to take part in it, said a source at the BNP chairpersons Gulshan office. The BNP has yet to make any official announcement if Khaledas will be visiting India to join the programme. The invitation came at a time when the BNP, the archrival of the ruling Awami League, wants to develop a better relation with India. When contacted, BNPs International Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon yesterday confirmed that the party chairperson received an invitation letter from the organisers. Replying to a question, he said former heads of state and former heads of the government usually join international programmes on global issues like socio-economy, human rights, cultural affairs and climate change. The leader, however, said he is not sure whether the party chairperson would be able to join the programme since the party is taking preparation to hold its national council. In 2012, the then opposition leader Khaleda Zia had visited India and held meeting with then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
