Dhaka – The US Secretary of State John Kerry is likely to meet Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Khaleda Zia, an opposition leader outside parliament, during his nine-hour trip to Dhaka, party insiders said on Sunday.

Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Monday to hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on security, human rights and democracy. He will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A senior leader of the BNP said that the meeting between Kerry and Khaleda is likely to hold in the evening before the US secretary leaves for New Delhi.

During his brief trip to Dhaka, Kerry will highlight the “longstanding and broad US-Bangladesh relationship”.

Kerry will meet with government officials to discuss growing cooperation on global issues, according to a US State Department press release issued Wednesday in Washington.

“He also will focus on strengthening our longstanding bilateral partnership on democracy, development, security and human rights,” his office said in a statement.

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