US announcement on visa restriction will give momentum to democracy restoration movement: BNP
When mentioned that the US has announced that the restrictions will be imposed on opposition parties as well, Alal said, “We are not an opposition party. We are ‘opposition on the street’ while Jatiya Party is ‘opposition on the parliament’.”
The United States announcement about imposing visa restrictions on Bangladeshis will greatly accelerate the BNP's ongoing democracy restoration movement, said the party's Joint Secretary General Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal today.
"Now Sheikh Hasina can no longer lie to the United Nations that she is a fairly elected prime minister and not a dictator," he told The Business Standard on Friday (22 September) night.
Alal said other countries of the democratic world, including Canada, as well as the European Union, may ban Awami League's misdeeds.
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When mentioned that the US has announced that the restrictions will be imposed on opposition parties as well, Alal said, "We are not an opposition party. We are 'opposition on the street' while Jatiya Party is 'opposition on the parliament'."
Meanwhile, BNP's Organising Secretary Shama Obaid told TBS, "Today's announcement by the United States and yesterday's announcement by the European Union are rays of hope for us."
"We think it will be very effective in restoring democracy in Bangladesh. This [restriction] will not be imposed on parties, including BNP, staging simultaneous movements. Because our movement is going on in a completely peaceful and systematic manner," said Shama, who is also a member of BNP's International Affairs Committee.
The United States has on Friday announced that the country is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
"These individuals include members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition," said a press statement issued by the US Department of State on Friday (22 September).
The statement added, "These persons and members of their immediate family may be found ineligible for entry into the United States.
"Additional persons found to have been responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh may also be found ineligible for US visas under this policy in the future."
