BNP senior leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the entire democratic world is now with Bangladesh for a creditable election, ensuring human rights and press freedom.
“It’s not only the United States, but also the entire world consciences are now with the people of Bangladesh. All the democracy-loving and freedom-loving countries are closely monitoring human rights, rule of law, media freedom, and the election,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion on Friday, the BNP leader also said US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken during his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen in Washington recently gave a message that the entire world is looking to Bangladesh for a neutral, acceptable, and inclusive election.
“He (Momen) was also been given a message not to continue the repression on the media workers and to keep a close eye on the Digital Security Act through which freedom of expression is being disrupted,” he said.
Khosru, also a BNP standing committee member, said the US has also asked the Bangladesh government to respect human rights.
He questioned why the global community and democracy-loving countries are only looking to the Bangladesh election instead of that of other countries in the South Asian region, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. “It has manifested how we have got humiliated before the world.”
Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Mome met his US counterpart Antony J Blinken where they discussed a wide range of issues, including Bangladesh’s next election, the Digital Security Act, human rights, and the Rohingya crisis.
Sylhet Divisional Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Forum, in Dhaka, arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters' Unity demanding the trace and safe return of former BNP organising secretary M Ilias Ali.
Former lawmaker Ilias Ali and his car driver Ansar Ali were reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance at midnight on April 17 in 2012 from near Mohakhali railway crossing in the capital.
Khosrul said the current government will no longer be able to stay in power by creating a climate of fear by resorting to the politics of enforced disappearance, falsehood, and the politics of false and ghost cases.
“The people of Bangladesh have decided to defeat them (the AL regime) politically…the people of Bangladesh have also taken a decision to remove fascism,” he observed.