US not 'managed', rather concerned about situation in Bangladesh: Rizvi
The US has not been managed, but they have expressed concern about mass arrests and torture of oppositions in Bangladesh, said Rizvi
The United States has not been 'managed' by the government, rather the Western country is concerned about the current situation in Bangladesh, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said today.
Speaking at a virtual press conference on Thursday (December 14), he also alleged that the ministers of the ruling Awami League are indulging in blatant lies at home and abroad, in addition to brutally suppressing the opposition to "hold another fraudulent election" on 7 January.
He said, "The AL ministers are continuing to spread false propaganda at home and abroad to get rid of obstacles ahead of the election. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam's recent statement that the US has been 'managed' is completely false and has been directly rejected by the US.
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"They called it 'Deep Fake News'. The US has not been managed, but they have expressed concern about mass arrests and torture of oppositions in Bangladesh."
Rizvi said the alleged statements, which has been by the minister and the state minister were huge blemishes on the history of diplomatic behaviour.
"Since they are empathetic towards money, money laundering, owners of large properties… they do not feel remorse when giving false, fabricated and morally wrong statements."
He also said police had blocked the central office of the BNP for more than one-and-a-half months.
"The BNP chairperson's office in Gulshan is also being monitored by Sheikh Hasina's loyal law enforcement forces," he said.
The US recently raised concerns regarding the emergence of "deep fakes" in Bangladesh ahead of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad polls slated for next month.
In a regular press briefing in Washington on 13 December, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted the worrying development of deep fakes in election-related disinformation in Bangladesh.
During the media briefing, a questioner at the briefing claimed that Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam had said they would be able to "manage" the United States, reports UNB.
Miller also said they are "deeply concerned" by the reports of mass arrests of opposition members and reports of torture in prison.
