UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who sent his representative Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to Dhaka to get Awami League and the BNP to sit for talks, yesterday condemned the ongoing violence.
Ban phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina around 4:45pm and hoped that the next elections would take place in line with the constitution, the national news agency BSS quoted the prime minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad as saying.
US Secretary of State John Kerry also condemned violence and hoped that the upcoming polls would take place in fair and peaceful ways. He also encouraged Awami League and BNP to engage in talks to settle their difference of opinion over the polls-time administration.
“I hope that the next polls will be held as per the constitution and it will further strengthen democracy,” Abul Kalam Azad also told the Dhaka Tribune.
The UN secretary-general condemned the ongoing violence in Bangladesh and hoped this type of acts would stop immediately.
Ban expressed his optimism that the ongoing dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties would continue in the future.
His telephonic conversation coincided with the diplomatic efforts of his envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco who was mediating talks between the two main political parties in the country.
Ban Ki-moon thanked the premier for her government’s generous cooperation to his special envoy, Azad said.
Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, the premier’s press adviser, told the Dhaka Tribune that John Kerry phoned Sheikh Hasina around 7:30 am yesterday.
The US Embassy in Dhaka confirmed John Kerry’s telephone call to Sheikh Hasina saying he talked on “the current events in Bangladesh”.
Prime minister’s Information Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune: “Secretary Kerry expressed concern over the ongoing political violence in the country.”
Quoting Kerry, he said: “While expressing his hope that the country would be able to hold a peaceful election, Kerry welcomed the dialogue between the representative of Awami League and BNP.”
The US secretary of state also raised the issue of the ongoing process of executing the war criminal (Abdul Quader Mollah), said Iqbal.
Sheikh Hasina in her reply told him that Mollah faced execution after the government exhausted all judicial process, according to her information adviser.
Following Kerry’s phone, the US embassy issued a press statement saying that “goodwill” will lead to free, fair and credible elections.
“As we have previously stated, the United States believes that it is now more urgent than ever for both major parties to find a way forward to hold peaceful, free, and fair elections that are credible in the eyes of the Bangladeshi people.”
During her recent Dhaka visit, the statement said, assistant secretary Biswal made clear: “We believe unequivocally that violence can never be part of the democratic process, is not acceptable, and must stop immediately”.
“The senseless violence of past days is especially reprehensible as innocent people, including young children, have fallen victim to arson and bombs.”
“We call on all those responsible to immediately end the violence and allow the Bangladeshi people to go about their daily activities without fear and insecurity”.
The statement said the US believed all parties should have space to freely and peacefully express their views.
“The government bears responsibility to provide such space; the opposition parties bear responsibility to use such space in a peaceful manner.”
