Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday questioned the reasoning behind the issue of dialogue with the opposition parties of Bangladesh, who are carrying out anti-government movement.
“For what reason, I should call them for the dialogue? ….Their demand is not right,” she said.
The premier came up with the comment at a press conference held at Ganabhaban on Monday afternoon on the outcome of her recent three-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom from April 25 to May 9.
Many people were protesting outside when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was speaking at a civic reception during her visit to the United States. Then she wanted to call them and expressed her desire to talk to them. Referring to this statement of her speech writer, the journalists questioned PM Hasina whether it was right?
The prime minister nodded her head in response.
Later journalists asked if the prime minister would call people, who are protesting in Bangladesh, for a dialogue.
In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put forward a counter question: “Who are they? I will give that answer later. For what, I should call them for dialogue? Their demand is not right. It was raining in the US. I thought the Bangladeshi diaspora, rather than get wet in the rain, call them and listen to what they have to say. Now those who are in Dhaka of Bangladesh, if their hobby is to be drenched in rain, let them be.”
On May 3, when visiting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saw a group of BNP-Jamaat supporters protesting outside Ritz Carlton hotel amid cold and pouring rain, she invited them to come inside to talk about their problems.
But the demonstrators poured cold water on her good gesture and left the place.
According to prime minister's speech writer M Nazrul Islam when Hasina was coming to hotel Ritz Carlton to attend a civic reception she saw that some supporters of BNP-Jamaat were demonstrating in front of the hotel.
“The prime minister saw it and at that time it was raining and biting cold outside,” he said.
PM Hasina said since they (BNP-Jamaat supporters) are demonstrating outside in the cold, let their representatives come in, according to Nazrul.
“Let them come in here to say what they want,” he quoted the PM Hasina as saying.
The premier then asked her PS-II Al Mamun Murshed and one official from the Bangladesh mission to bring them to the hotel.
“But police officials here at first denied allowing them without the permission from the hotel authority, then the officials took the permission from the hotel authority for taking them inside. But the demonstrating BNP-Jamaat supporters left the place spurning the good gesture of the prime minister,” Nazrul mentioned.
The prime minister sincerely wanted to listen to them, he said.
