FM trashes US congressmen letter as ‘weak and cheap’

Staff Reporter  :
Foreign Ministry (FM) has termed the letter written by six US Congressmen to President Joe Biden as ‘weak and cheap’ and full of exaggeration.
The ministry also said that the letter could not create any rift between the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the US.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Monday came with the remarks while talking to the journalists at the Foreign Ministry.

While drawing attention to the Congressmen letter in order to get the government’s views on it, he said that they have collected the letter and found various distortions.
“Like other letters, there are inconsistencies in this letter as well. There are exaggerations in this letter also. There is a huge amount of information gap. The attempts of the Congressmen is weak and cheap,” he said.
He also mentioned that the letter from the Congress members will not be able to create any rift between Bangladesh and the United States relation.

Addressing the media personnel, the State Minister said, “You (media personnel) can examine it for yourselves. Our politicians, especially members of parliament from other parties, often say many things to the Prime Minister, and many of them may even write letters. Perhaps, some letters have been written against me, which I am not aware of. But it depends on how the Prime Minister deals with such matters.”

He also believes that such letters may be circulated in the future keeping the upcoming elections in mind. However, he urged the media to verify such information before publishing or promoting it.
Regarding the increasing number of lobbying in the face of the upcoming elections, Shahriar Alam commented that the lobbyists will do their job, and the government will do theirs.

He stated that the Awami League does not believe in policies that bring Bangladeshis behind. The government does not believe in continuing relations with any foreign individual by pursuing lobbyist or working under pressure or keeping relations to the end, he said.

In the letter, the Congressmen urged the President to stop human rights abuses by the Sheikh Hasina government and to give people of Bangladesh the best possible chance for free and fair parliamentary elections.
While drawing attention to the meeting of Japanese Ambassador Iwama Kiminori with BNP senior leaders in the latter’s office in Gulshan, Shahriar Alam said, “I don’t know about it in detail. Some six months ago such a situation was evolved. Some envoys crossed their limits. If any envoy again involved in any such activity, we will deem it as crossing the border. We will take necessary steps accordingly.”

In another query about the installation of a mural of ‘Akhand Bharat’ (Undivided India) which includes several additional countries, including Bangladesh at the Indian new parliament building, he stated that they have instructed the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi to communicate the Ministry of External Affairs of India for an official explanation regarding this matter.

“There is no reason to express concern over the issue. Besides, we have told our mission in Delhi to engage in discussion with the Ministry of External Affairs to get their formal explanation,” he said.
“According to our understanding, the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has referred to it as a map of the Ashoka Empire, dating back to three centuries before the birth of Christ. The area depicted in that map is a mural depicting human migration. It may represent a cultural connection, but it has no political implications.”

The Akhand Bharat mural has recently sparked sharp reaction from Pakistan and Nepal. Pakistan officially said that it was ‘a manifestation of a revisionist and expansionist mindset that seeks to subjugate the identity and culture of not only India’s neighbouring countries but also its own religious minorities. It is a matter of grave concern that the idea of Akhand Bharat is being peddled by individuals belonging to the ruling dispensation in India.”