State Minister for Foreign Md Shahriar Alam has said he hopes that the United States will take note of the threats being passed by those in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to obstruct the upcoming general election.
“... Speeches, comments and commentaries passed on by our friends in the BNP threatening that police officers, administration, electoral officials whoever will participate in the election will be dealt with. These are serious threats. I hope the US is taking good note of that,” he said while responding to questions at an interaction titled “Bangladesh at the Crossroads,” held at a hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The Daily Ittefaq hosted the conversation with the state minister. The Daily Ittefaq Executive Director and Publisher Tareen Hossain delivered the welcome remarks.
Shahriar said the call for a caretaker government is an “illegitimate demand” according to the constitution and also a verdict delivered by judges.
The state minister said such demands by the BNP itself qualify as an “obstruction” to a free and fair election.
Responding to a question on pressure on the government, Shahriar posed a counter question: “Do you really think even if someone wants to put pressure they can move Sheikh Hasina?
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “That is her pride and that is what drives her. Please do some justice to this legacy and do not make such weak observations.”
Responding to another question, he said there is no reason to see new sanctions and the government is absolutely not under any pressure from anywhere.
Regarding a political question, he said a free and fair election requires equal political commitment from all political parties.
Shahriar hoped that all political parties will take part in the election demonstrating their commitment.
Talking about relations with the US, the state minister referred to what he said on Tuesday at EMK Center.
He mentioned that the friendship between Bangladesh and the United States has deepened and broadened to the length that allows them to frankly debate their differences.
Shahriar, however, acknowledged that there are some irritants in the relations.
The long-pending repatriation of Rashed Chowdhury, a self-confessed, convicted killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman finding refuge in a friendly country like the US remains a source of deep regret. “That is a source of irritation.”
When his attention was drawn regarding a reported letter by six congressmen to US President Joe Biden, the state minister said: “I do not know whether it is true.”
He reminded that the BNP has a history of using and falsifying comments of foreign friends in the past and also referred to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's article in the Washington Times seeking the withdrawal of GSP facilities for Bangladesh.