New York Reception for PM Tarique Canceled
Staff Reporter: Tensions have intensified among leaders and activists of the U.S. chapter of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since the dates of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s New York visit to attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly were announced.
Amid longstanding leadership disputes within the U.S. BNP, the arrival of BNP International Affairs Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain Khokon has further heightened internal tensions. He arrived in New York nearly two weeks ago and began efforts to reorganize the party. However, he has been unable to resolve the accumulated grievances and resentment of many longtime leaders and activists, leaving considerable dissatisfaction within the organization.
Some U.S. BNP leaders and activists have previously alleged that Khokon formed “pocket committees” in exchange for money in about a dozen states, including New York, and has been traveling primarily to those states. Fresh allegations have now surfaced that, using new promises and incentives, he has been raising money in connection with a planned New York reception for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to several sources, reports of these allegations have reached Dhaka, after which the planned civic reception was canceled. Other sources, however, say the event was canceled primarily to save approximately Tk 50 million. The issue has prompted mixed reactions among party leaders and activists.
As this will be the first U.S. visit in many years by the party chairman in his capacity as prime minister, BNP leaders see the trip as an important opportunity to demonstrate their political and organizational strength. However, Anwar Hossain Khokon has so far been unable to fully resolve the party’s internal leadership disputes.
It has long been customary in New York to organize civic receptions for Bangladeshi heads of government attending the UN General Assembly. This year, the proposed reception honoring Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has become a major topic of discussion within the Bangladeshi-American community. Twenty-one years after his mother, Khaleda Zia, was similarly honored, Tarique Rahman was expected to receive such a reception.
Bangladeshi heads of government have also traditionally met with members of the local Bangladeshi media during their New York visits. Reliable sources, however, say Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not hold a media event in New York this year.
Meanwhile, preparations for the reception have brought the internal dynamics of the U.S. BNP back into focus. In particular, the absence of a formal U.S. BNP committee for many years has contributed to leadership disputes. Questions over who will be involved in organizing the event, who will have access to the prime minister, and how many leaders and activists will be brought to New York from different states have all become matters of intense discussion. The longstanding tensions surrounding the U.S. BNP’s organizational structure have therefore resurfaced ahead of the prime minister’s visit.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to New York to attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. During a nine-day trip, he is expected to arrive in New York on September 21 and address the General Assembly on September 24. He is scheduled to leave New York for San Francisco, California, on September 26 and return to Bangladesh from there.
During his stay in New York, the prime minister is expected to attend a number of high-level events involving world leaders beginning September 22. There is also a possibility of bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump. This year’s session has also drawn particular attention because of Bangladesh’s role in presiding over the General Assembly. After four decades, Tarique Rahman’s address to a General Assembly session under a Bangladeshi presidency is being viewed by supporters as a significant diplomatic moment for the country.
Last year, Chief Adviser to the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus attended the UN General Assembly and met with expatriate Bangladeshis. More than 700 invited Bangladeshis attended an event at the Manhattan Marriott Marquis Hotel, which was overseen by the Bangladesh Consulate in New York. Consular sources said the event cost approximately $243,000.
For Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed reception this year, the New York Consulate reportedly submitted a budget of $250,000 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an event involving approximately 1,000 expatriates. That amount is equivalent to more than Tk 30 million. Tarique Rahman has reportedly already expressed his preference not to spend such a large amount on the event.
U.S. BNP leaders, meanwhile, have been seeking responsibility for organizing the prime minister’s reception. One senior party leader reportedly traveled to Dhaka to raise the matter with the prime minister. However, no one has clearly stated whether Tarique Rahman would attend a reception organized under the party banner.
The U.S. BNP has not had a formal committee since 2011, making unity among its leaders another important issue. A further challenge is how the necessary funds would be raised. Despite these difficulties, U.S. BNP leaders have expressed their willingness to take responsibility for the reception. A senior BNP leader said the Manhattan Marriott Marquis Hotel had already been booked and that party leaders and activists were prepared to cover the cost of the event.
Preparations are also underway to bring leaders, activists and supporters to New York from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, California and other states. Local organizers have been contacting party members and encouraging a strong turnout. Leaders from different factions have also stepped up communication with their respective supporters.
Although there had been discussions about a reception organized by the consulate and embassy, that plan is currently not moving forward. Sources familiar with the matter said the event was canceled primarily to save the proposed $250,000 expenditure.
Several local BNP leaders, however, said the status of the civic reception has still not been finalized. They noted that organizing such an event could cost at least $400,000 to $500,000 and said the prime minister does not want such a large sum spent on a reception. They suggested that he might instead meet with party leaders and activists. They also said they were working together to make the prime minister’s visit memorable.
Although the publicly funded civic reception in New York has reportedly been canceled, several local BNP factions and affiliated organizations are attempting to arrange an alternative reception.
According to party sources, tensions have developed between senior New York BNP leaders and Md. Anwar Hossain Khokon after he was given responsibility for coordinating party activities. As a result, different groups are reportedly pursuing separate arrangements.
Sources say the situation has also been complicated by a lack of coordination with several longtime leaders, including founding president of the U.S. BNP and former foreign affairs adviser to the BNP chairperson Dr. Mujibur Rahman Majumder, senior leader Zakir H. Chowdhury, M. R. Bashar, Dr. Hafiz, Nasim Ahmed, Alhaj Sulaiman Bhuiyan and former elected AGS of the New York College Students’ Union Anwarul Islam Anwar, among others.
Some senior leaders have also accused Anwar Hossain Khokon of engaging in factional politics with several figures in his circle, including Zillur Rahman Zillu, Abdul Latif Samrat and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan Milon. According to those critics, this has made other senior leaders reluctant to work with him. Critical posts and discussions concerning him have also appeared regularly on social media.
Motahar Hossain, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Forum USA and a former student leader said, We are eagerly waiting to see how we can give a warm reception to our beloved leader, the BNP chairman and prime minister. But we still have not received any specific instructions and remain largely in the dark. We will certainly consult with senior leaders and make every effort to welcome our beloved leader.'
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