Shahriar Alam questions role of ex US diplomats William Milam, Jon Danilowicz

UNB  :
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Saturday questioned the role of former US diplomats stationed in Dhaka William Milam and Jon Danilowicz, noting that they are “not impartial”.

“Everyone must know these ex diplomats are not impartial. They never were, even when they were serving in Dhaka. Question is, are they doing it free of charge? If not, who is paying them? We know the ‘why’ answer,” he tweeted, which included a video.

A Bangladeshi diplomat retweeted Shahriar’s tweet, saying, “Nothing is free in the Western society! The wage is based on hourly service!”

Jon Danilowicz replied to the State Minister’s tweet, saying, “The Honorable State Minister knows this is a lie and it is sad that he is reduced to engaging in character assassination.

I understand how much pressure he must be under and regret that he chooses to engage at such a base level.

My affection for Bangladesh and its citizens is genuine and I intend to continue to do my small part to promote democracy and human rights there and elsewhere.”

The video story tweeted by Shahriar Alam showed the ex diplomats’ affiliation with the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Assistant Press Secretary Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey.

William Milam served as the ambassador in Dhaka from September 1990 to October 1993 and is the editor of the South Asia Perspective magazine while Jon Danilowicz, who served in Dhaka twice including during the military-backed caretaker regime in 2007 and 2008, is the editor-at-large.

The “BNP-funded” magazine is run by Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey as its executive editor.