As signs are getting clearer and bolder about former President Donald Trump winning a landslide during November 5, 2024 election against Democratic Party’s Joe Biden or anyone else – ultra-Islamist and pro-Al Qaeda – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has started looking or “effective lobbyists” through pro-Republican Party firms with the target of establishing contacts with anticipated key-figures in the Trump administration as well as his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
According to a source, BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has become totally frustrated as he failed to foil the January 7 general elections in Bangladesh even after spending millions of dollars towards lobbyists, including Hunter Biden. Tarique was given assurance by representative of Hunter Biden as well as BNP’s own lobbyists and representatives in the United States – William B Milam, Jon Danilowicz and Tarique’s own man Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey about forcing Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in handing-over power to a caretaker government prior to January 7 general election. Moreover, Tarique Rahman also was banking on controversial Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus of using his connections with Hillary Clinton and few other influential figures in the Democratic Party in exerting pressure on Awami League. Finally, each and every attempt of Tarique Rahman and his men and lobbyists fell flat. At this stage, at Tarique Rahman’s instruction, his representative Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey made frantic bids in getting a statement from the US State Department on Washington’s stand against Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It may be mentioned here that Mushfiqul Fazal has connections with Al Qaeda since 2002 and he personally met Ayman al-Zawahiri in Dhaka on a number of occasions.
Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey on a number of occasions asked the US State Department spokesperson about the possibility of the Biden administration not recognizing Sheikh Hasina and her government. In response to this question, the State Department clearly said it will continue to work with the Bangladesh government.
Meanwhile, British newspaper The Daily Express published an opinion-editorial criticizing Muhammad Yunus, despite the fact, it was perceived by many that Yunus enjoys patronization from the Western media. Seeing this report, a large number of Yunus fans inside the BNP were astonished as they always believed – none of the Western media would run anything criticizing Muhammad Yunus as he has been seen as a savior of poor.
As part of his latest plan of somehow establishing connections with inner circle of former President Donald Trump, a desperate Tarique Rahman even made a phone call to a prominent leader in the Republican Party, where after knowing identity of the caller, an aide to the Republican Party leader asked Tarique Rahman to “refrain from calling again” and also said, “we don’t communicate with any convicted terrorist or Islamist”.
As Tarique Rahman tried to convince the aide stating everything that is appearing in Bangladesh and international media are “pure propaganda”. As the aide asked Tarique to clarify why his party had hosted Al Qaeda kingpin Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2002, a rattled Tarique quickly hanged-up the phone.
Following this, Tarique Rahman reportedly has assigned at least two Bangladesh national and BNP activists in New York City to “anyhow reach” Donald Trump or his son.
