The US Embassy in Dhaka has clarified that the US government has no involvement in the National Prayer Breakfast scheduled to take place in Washington, DC.
This statement comes amid speculation sparked by the invitation of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and two senior leaders to the event.
Several Facebook pages had claimed that US President-elect Donald Trump extended the invitations to the BNP leaders. Addressing these reports, the US Embassy told journalists that the United States was not hosting, organising, or funding the IRF Summit or National Prayer Breakfast.
The embassy also distinguished the IRF (International Religious Freedom) Summit from the International Religious Freedom Ministerials, an annual event organised by the US and partner governments.
According to the embassy, “The IRF Summit is distinct from the International Religious Freedom Ministerials organised annually by the US and partner governments, which the German government most recently hosted in Berlin on Oct 10-11, 2024.”
The statement reiterated the US government’s commitment to supporting human rights and fundamental freedoms globally, including freedom of religion or belief. However, it emphasized that the planning, invitations, and participant selection for the IRF Summit and the National Prayer Breakfast are not influenced or managed by the US government or the Department of State.
For further details, the embassy directed inquiries to the respective organizations’ websites: www.irfsummit.org for the IRF Summit and www.npbfoundation.com for the National Prayer Breakfast. It added that statements made by participants or former officials at these events should not be interpreted as reflecting the opinions or policies of the US government.
In addition to Tarique Rahman, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury have also been invited to the event. Scheduled for February 5 and 6, the National Prayer Breakfast is an annual gathering organized by members of the US Congress. Typically held on the first Thursday of February, the event serves as a platform for dialogue among national and international leaders.
Donald Trump, who won re-election in the November 2024 elections, will commence his second term as president on January 20, 2025.