Caretaker govt issue: Foreign Minister had no talks with Blinken

Staff Reporter  :
Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen stated that he did not have any conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the caretaker government for the upcoming parliamentary election.
During a conversation with journalists in his office at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, the minister mentioned that Bangladesh had also not requested any aid from the United States to facilitate the participation of the BNP in the election.
“There had been no such discussion. The United States has said that elections will be held in accordance with your country’s laws. We hope that you will demonstrate some magic in the election so that we can say it to the world’s people,” Momen said while he was asked about whether there had been any discussion about the caretaker government with the US Secretary of State during the recent bilateral meeting in Washington.
Regarding the United States’ cooperation in the elections, the Minister said that the United States wants a free and fair election, and Bangladesh government also wants that.
“There is no disagreement between us on this issue. I have said that the government alone cannot hold a fair election. The Election Commission cannot do it alone. All parties need to have sincerity in their hearts. You (the United States) can help us with these matters,” he said.
He said, “Some people have told them (the United States) that members of the opposition party cannot hold meetings, and if they try to do so, the government will arrest them. I have informed them that we do not jail for political reasons. We don’t sent to jail unless any crime is committed. We do not imprison the opposition party anywhere.”
He said, “If anyone wants to block the road, even if it’s in your country (the United States), you (Blinken) won’t allow it. They (BNP) can hold all meetings freely”.
Where the government is not feeling annoyed or pressured by the frequent messages regarding the election from the United States, he said, “No. We are very happy. We will have a fair election ourselves. They (the United States) are saying it’s good. We are taking care of our own affairs. We want to conduct a fair election”.
The Foreign Minister was asked if the election would be fair if the BNP did not participate, he said, “Why it would not be fair if the people of the country cast their votes”.
When asked about the deployment of US election observers, the Foreign Minister said that the US can send as many observers as they want and that there is no problem with that.
He also mentioned that they had told the US that they were welcome to send observers and that they had kept their doors open for that.
Regarding the discussion on the Digital Security Act, he stated that if there is any weakness in the law, it will be rectified.
He also pointed out that similar laws exist in other countries, and sometimes there are discrepancies in their implementation, but they are amended when necessary.
Regarding the sanctions on RAB, he said that it is going through a process.