Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has clarified Bangladesh's stance on human rights and fair elections in response to concerns raised by 12 congressmen in their letters to US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
The minister collected the letters from six Democratic Party congressmen addressed to Biden and six Republican Party congressmen addressed to Blinken, and responded to them separately. The government verified the authenticity of the letters before sending its reply.
Momen informed the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs about these developments during a meeting on Sunday. He provided the committee with the information in the letters sent to the congressmen. Additionally, the Bangladeshi ambassador in Washington is working to arrange meetings with the 12 congressmen.
Muhammad Faruk Khan, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, stated that the White House responded to the congressmen's letter after discussing its contents in a meeting.
He mentioned that the White House spokesperson noted that congressmen and senators often write letters to the president, and their correspondence is confidential.
The spokesperson questioned why Bangladesh needed to be aware of their internal conversations. Faruk Khan explained that the leaked letter was brought to the attention of the State Department, and Bangladesh's foreign minister personally responded to the letters, clarifying Bangladesh's position.
Faruk Khan, a member of the ruling Awami League's praesidium, stated, "We have informed everyone about Bangladesh's position on human rights and election issues. Our stance on the upcoming elections is clear.
According to the constitution, the elections will be held as in any other country worldwide."
He advised the US, European Union, and UK to share their suggestions regarding the election issue with Election Commission.
According to a report presented to the parliamentary committee, on May 25, six Republican Party congressmen, including Scott Perry and Barry More, wrote a letter to US secretary of state addressing internal issues in Bangladesh.
On June 8, six Democratic Party congressmen, including William R Keating and James P McGovern, wrote separate letters to the US president on various issues concerning Bangladesh.
The report also mentions an increased interest in Bangladesh-related issues from the Republican Party congressmen, which was not observed in the past.
The Bangladesh High Commission collected copies of the letters and contacted the respective congressmen's offices to verify their authenticity.
The embassy has held multiple meetings with officials from more than 12 congressmen's offices to clarify Bangladesh's position regarding the letters.
Additionally, the embassy has contacted officials from the US State Department and the White House.
Efforts to arrange a meeting with the 12 congressmen are ongoing, and meetings with several congressmen have already been confirmed.
The embassy also engaged with officials from the US Department of State and the White House, including Michele J Sison, Rashad Hussain, and Donald Lu, to refute the allegations made by the 12 congressmen, emphasizing that they were based on false and inaccurate information.
