Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Monday briefed foreign diplomats reiterating the Prime Minister’s stance that the next general election will be held as per the Constitution. Talking to reporters after the briefing at the Foreign Ministry, the Foreign Minister also said time has not run out for talks for holding a peaceful election. “In any event, the offer for dialogue from the government’s side remains on the table. We would hope that the Opposition would positively respond to the government’s overture for dialogue so that together with them we could spell out the possible contours and composition of the interim government,” she said.(according to UNB)
Responding to a question, the diplomat said there were requests for adequate space for the civil society bodies so that they can operate freely, specially ahead of the next national
election.
Responding to another question, the diplomat said, “Basically, she repeated what the Prime Minister said yesterday (about election). But there were more questions about Adil.”
UNB adds: “The Foreign Minister mainly focused on two issues – arrest of Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and upcoming election,” said the diplomats.
Major countries like the USA, the UK, India, Pakistan, Japan, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Palestine sent deputies while the envoys from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Canada, Korea, Nepal, Indonesia and other countries, including heads of UN and other international organisations were present at the briefing.
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Director General (EP) M Shameem Ahsan were also present.
The Foreign Minister said it has been brought to government’s notice that some of the colleagues in the diplomatic corps decided to show up at the Court in connection with Advocate Khan’s case. “We feel that such actions by the diplomatic envoys are rather uncalled for and amount to direct interference with, and to some extent intimidation to our judicial process.”
She urged the colleagues within the diplomatic community to refrain from involving in any such act that may be seen as a deliberate attempt to meddle in a judicial process beyond the ambit of regular diplomatic norms.
“It may be useful reminding ourselves that the art of diplomacy is best practiced through subtle acts and measured pronouncements and without deviating into unwarranted sensationalism.”
It, became apparent that some of his actions posed considerable threat to information integrity as well as public order and security, and had to be restrained through recourse to appropriate legal measures, she said.
Dipu Moni assured all friends of Bangladesh in the international community that the present government would act strictly within the bounds of law in dealing with Advocate Khan’s case. “We’ve taken note of concerns expressed by certain quarters about the possibility of torture against Advocate Khan on remand,” Dipu Moni said adding that there is no reason for such misguided apprehensions.
Dipu Moni also criticised the BNP chief saying that they have just recently witnessed birthday celebrations of the Opposition being observed in sheer affront to the memory of the Father of the Nation whose brutal assassination the nation mourns on that very day.
She said the government hopes that the opposition camp would not create any further unnecessary issues around the ongoing ICT-BD trials and the verdicts being delivered and create a reign of terror as they had done earlier this year. “We would continue to urge upon all concerned that in the interest of long awaited justice, the ICT-BD trials must be kept above partisan politics and should not be conflated with election issues that should be dealt with on an altogether separate premise/platform.
The briefing was originally scheduled for Sunday but postponed minutes before its start. The briefing was postponed as it was about to coincide the prime minister’s press conference.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a press conference in the afternoon at her official residence Ganobhaban on Sunday where Dipu Moni was also present.
Dipu earlier briefed the diplomats and representatives of development partners jointly and in separate groups on various issues from March 7.
Another diplomat, representing a neighbouring country, said someone asked about the trial of war criminals and the Foreign Minister said that should not be an election issue. On the arrest of Adil, Dipu Moni said he was arrested as per law as he did go against the state, the diplomat said quoting the Foreign Minister.
“The Prime Minister did not say that there was no scope for dialogue. The PM said that we would conduct the next elections as per the Constitution,” said the Foreign Minister.
However, a diplomat who attended the meeting said the Foreign Minister informed that there will be no deviation from the Constitution when it comes to holding the next national election but discussions could be held on the composition of the interim government.
“We will follow the measures described in the Constitution after the fifteenth amendment. A state is always run by its Constitution. The government will be run in accordance with the Constitution,” she said. But, Dipu Moni said, “There can surely be dialogue within the flexibility of the Constitutional provisions.”
-With The Independent input
