Some foreign orgs should apply for registration to form political platform here: Momen
“Political violence by any side has no place in democratic elections,” he said after his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal at the EC office
Apparently expressing displeasure over Washington's idea of political dialogue, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday (31 October) said certain foreign entities in Bangladesh should apply for political registration and turn into political groups to talk about Bangladesh's internal affairs and do politics.
"I often think some foreign organisations should turn into political entities. I think they should apply for registration so they can also form political bodies and take political positions in our internal affairs. Let them form a party and see how many votes they get," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when his attention was drawn about US Ambassador Peter Hass' remarks over political dialogue.
Ambassador Haas hoped that all sides going forward will engage in a "dialogue" without preconditions to de-escalate tensions and find a path forward to free, fair and peaceful elections.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"Political violence by any side has no place in democratic elections," he said after his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal at the EC office.
Asked about media reports over further US sanctions, Momen said, "Forget about that. It does not matter….we have nothing to be worried. Any country can deny visa to anyone."
Highlighting BNP's "brutality and destruction" FM Momen said it is shame for the party and it should expel those BNP activists involved in attacks on police, hospital and chief justice's residence.
"It is a matter of shame, the party (BNP) should give a public statement for the misdeeds. I would expect from BNP that they should expel them," he said.
Momen said Bangladesh saw massive development over the last 15 years due to peace and stability in the country.
He said BNP needs maturity as their behavior shows they are doing something beyond imagination by such attacks. "They don't abide by laws."
Referring to the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said strikes and blockades by BNP cost the country a total of Tk 1,600 crore (or USD 192.3 million) or 0.2 percent of the GDP per day.
In the early 2000s, BNP-Jamaat created an atmosphere of violence and intimidation, particularly during the 2001 general election, which was marred by widespread violence and allegations of vote rigging, Momen told the diplomats on Monday.
After the election, he said, BNP-Jamaat activists committed looting, rape and murders, particularly targeting the minority community.
In 2013, before the general election, BNP and its allies vandalized several thousand vehicles and set many of those on fire using petrol bombs, at times burning alive the passengers stuck inside. Some of them are still living with horrific scars and trauma, Momen mentioned.
More than 400 people, including 20 law enforcement officers, were killed in the petrol bomb and hand grenade attacks, he said.
