DHAKA, Dec 23: Bangladesh President A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury, also a top physician of the country, in an unusual move broke the normal protocol and paid a courtesy call on the ailing acting president of the Awami League, Abdus Samad Azad, at his residence.

A close associate of former president Ziaur Rahman and founder secretary general of BNP, Chowdhury became foreign minister when Begum Khaleda Zia formed the government on Oct 10 and was elected deputy leader of the parliament. He was later elected president last month.

Though both President Chowdhury and former foreign minister Samad described the visit as “a courtesy call to exchange Eid greetings”, political analysts are, however, reading much in the meeting.

In the backdrop of a prolonged government-opposition standoff, the visit has assumed importance among the political and diplomatic circles.

However, Mr Azad said: “When there is a meeting (between two political leaders), many things can be discussed.” He, however, denied that President Chowdhury had carried any proposal for ending the standoff between the two sides.

The AL leader, however, seized the opportunity and raised the issue of withdrawal of special security for ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a time when she needed more security. He also raised the issue of corruption cases against her.

Azad said the opposition was an integral part of governance in a parliamentary democracy and pointed out that it cannot make any progress if “there are acts of repression or harassment of the opposition”.

Political observers consider the president’s meeting with Azad as a “good omen” and hope that it would lead to a rapprochement.

However, many are of the view that President Chowdhury’s initiative alone can’t achieve much success, unless both the sides followed it up with concrete measures.