Dhaka Bureau: Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen said that there is no need for foreigners’ opinions on Bangladesh elections. He said, I want to make an acceptable election. We don’t need others to teach us democracy. We have democracy, human rights.
On Saturday (January 14), the minister said these things in response to questions from journalists at the end of a function of the Japanese Studies Department at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of Dhaka University.
The foreign minister said, we are thinking about transparent elections. The people of this country will decide whether the election of this country will be good or bad. No one else. No one else can do anything about it. The people of Bangladesh will decide it.
Pointing out that the Awami League government did not come to power through bullets, Momen said that the Awami League wants to conduct transparent elections. Awami League came to government through ballot. We will choose in due course. Awami League is not a party that will not allow any big party to be elected. We choose everyone.
The United States is always involved in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. Regarding the intervention of the country, the foreign minister said that they (United States) give us many advices as a friendly country. We welcome it. If Bangladesh gets a good offer, it accepts it. We accept what is good. This increases our achievement.
US Assistant Secretary for Central and South Asian Affairs Donald Lu is coming to Dhaka today via India on a two-day visit. When asked about the discussion during Lu’s visit, Momen said, “We will raise our issues.” They will raise their issues. We agree with America’s principal. One of their principals is democracy, they want democracy; We want too.
Discussing the ban on RAB, Momen said that America has banned RAB on another issue. We are delivering and will deliver. We would have a request that they (US) consider the matter. We think we can resolve them through discussion.
Diplomatic sources say that Bangladesh will request the United States to withdraw the ban on RAB during Lu’s visit and not to impose any new sanctions. Journalists drew attention to the foreign minister’s plea to the United States not to impose new sanctions. In response, the minister said, we do not know. How do we know? They didn’t tell us.
In response to another question about foreign ambassadors talking about Bangladesh’s entry in Dhaka, Momen said, you (mass media) are poking them (ambassadors). Like you (the media) don’t poke foreign ambassadors in other countries. You stop poking. Stop this culture.
