Westerners treating Bangladesh as ‘a land of Mogs’: Momen
Staff Reporter :
Trashing down the statement issued by the western embassies in Dhaka condemning the attack on independent candidate for Dhaka-17 by-election Hero Alom, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has commented that the westerners find Bangladesh – a land of Mogs.
“I don’t know about it (statement). But I want to say one thing – when people are killed in New York, do they (western embassies) ever issue a statement? Has the United States ever asked why people are killed in the United States,” Momen said in response to a question at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
Regarding the incident of Syed Faisal alias Arif, a Bangladeshi-origin student who was killed by the police in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA in January last year, Momen said, “A Bengali boy was killed.
Has the UN inquired about the progress of the investigation? Have the diplomats issued a statement in a body?” Pointing to the media, Momen said, “Why don’t you ask them (foreign diplomats) – why they don’t issue any statements? They consider Bangladesh a land of Mogs. This is unacceptable.
They meet with you (media) occasionally. You don’t ask them why a Bengali boy was killed. In America, people are killed from time to time.”
Throwing questions at the journalists, Foreign Minister said, “Have you ever asked them about these issues? Have you asked them about Faisal? Why don’t you? You should also be alert about such matters.”
“Whenever it comes to the matter of Bangladesh, they start making hullabaloo. Does it happen elsewhere?” he questioned.
The foreign minister asked the journalists to provide him a report in which the western countries have issued any statement when people are killed.
“Some days back a number of people were killed in France. Have anyone issued a statement? It only happens in Bangladesh. Time has come to stop such publicity. They don’t give us any statement. They only give it to you. It is unacceptable,” he said.
Regarding the attack on Hero Alom, Foreign Minister said, “The incident should be investigated – who have attacked him. It may be that some were involved in it. It may also be carried out for creating instability. It may be that there are people who don’t want the next election. Such misconducts have been carried to foil election.”
