German envoy holds closed-door meeting with BNP leader Amir Khasru

Staff Reporter :
A closed-door meeting between BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and German Ambassador Achim Troster was held in the capital on Sunday just after a day of the BNP’s grand rally in Dhaka.
Sources said that the meeting continued for about some one hour in the afternoon, but Amir Khasru did not disclose the subject matter of the tete-a-tete meeting to the journalists.
After the meeting, Amir Khasru said, “A gentleman from the German Foreign Ministry and German Ambassador came here for a dialogue. We had a discussion with them.”
About the subject matter of the talks, he said, “It is better to keep the private meeting within us. There is hardly any scope to make it public. We try to keep such meetings private. This is practice.”
In reply to a query whether it was a political defeat for BNP for being unable to hold their rally at Naya Paltan, he said, “People will decide whether it was a victory or defeat. No political party has any scope to say it. When people will get the opportunity to exercise their franchise, people will give their verdicts.”
Earlier on Friday, ruling party General Secretary Obaidul Quader said that BNP experienced partial-defeat in its movement as party leaders agreed to hold their rally on Golapbagh field in the capital.
“They (BNP) said that the government is afraid of the BNP. Those who (confidently)
said that the rally will be held at Naya Paltan, are now at Golapbagh. So who is the loser? BNP or we? Half of the defeat in the movement is done here,” Quader said.
Drawing attention to the Awami League government, Amir Khasru said, “Let me tell those who don’t understand the duties of diplomats. The envoys report to their headquarters about everything including political, social, economic and cultural affairs of a country. It is part of their job and it is nothing new.”
Two days ago, Obaidul Quader urged the foreign diplomats not to ruin the friendship by intervening in the country’s internal affairs.
“Do not hurt the friendship. We have had bitter experiences in the past — in 1971 and 1975. But we still want to maintain our cordial relations with you. However, there will be cracks in our friendship if you do so. No one will benefit from that,” he added.
Recently the remarks of foreign diplomats including the US and the UK about the political violence in the capital irked the government and the ruling party called upon them to refrain from delivering speeches on the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
During the private meeting held at BNP’s Gulhsan office, party’s International Relations Committee Member Shama Obaid, was present.