State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Saturday said former US diplomats stationed in Dhaka William Milam and Jon Danilowicz were “not impartial”.
“They never were, even when they were serving in Dhaka,” he said in a tweet, sharing a video story of their affiliation with the former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s Assistant Press Secretary Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey.
William Milam, who was the ambassador in Dhaka from September 1990 to October 1993, is the editor of the South Asia Perspective magazine while Jon Danilowicz, who served in Dhaka twice including during the military-backed caretaker regime in 2007 and 2008, is the editor-at-large.
It is widely known as a BNP-funded magazine run by Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey as its executive editor.
Ansarey, who is also an editor of a news portal JustNews, has long been seen asking questions about Bangladesh in the regular press briefings at the State Department in Washington and the UN in New York.
Most of the time he referred to various statements in favour of the opposition BNP in the context of asking questions, drawing criticism in Dhaka.
Everyone must know these ex diplomats are not impartial. They never were, even when they were serving in Dhaka. Question is, are they doing it free of charge ? If not, who is paying them ? We know the 'why' answer. pic.twitter.com/rkpcP1MAoL
— Md. Shahriar Alam (@MdShahriarAlam) August 12, 2023
“Everyone must know these ex-diplomats are not impartial. They never were, even when they were serving in Dhaka. Question is, are they doing it free of charge? If not, who is paying them? We know the 'why' answer,” Shahriar Alam tweeted about Milam and Danilowicz, sharing a video story.
In a reply, Danilowicz tweeted: “The Honorable State Minister knows this is a lie and it is sad that he is reduced to engaging in character assassination. I understand how much pressure he must be under and regret that he chooses to engage at such a base level. My affection for #Bangladesh and its citizens is genuine and I intend to continue to do my small part to promote democracy and human rights there and elsewhere.”
In the video story, a question was asked: “How can US diplomats become advocates for a party that is now led by a fugitive acting chief Tarique Rahman already dubbed as a ‘symbol of violent politics’ and regarded as a threat to US interest for colluding with militants and indulging in rampant corruption.”
It shared old reports from WikiLeaks where the US diplomat’s communication on Tarique Rahman was leaked.
Danilowicz served in Dhaka as a counselor for Political and Economic Affairs from 2007 – early 2011, and then came back again as the deputy chief of mission in 2012 and left for Pakistan in 2014 as the consul general in Peshawar.
A leaked US cable from WikiLeaks, revealed that Danilowicz back then “advised” the US administration that “removal of both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina from politics is widely seen as necessary to facilitate these changes and the progress of the country toward elections.”
In a tweet on June 18, 2023, Danilowicz, from his verified handle, justified that “USG worked tirelessly to restore democracy in the 2007-08 period and supported much-needed reforms.”
He also appears in a pro-BNP human rights forum Right 2 Freedom.