The US relations with Bangladesh are not usual due to the Jan 5 general elections that the BNP stayed off, American Ambassador Dan Mozena has said.
But, he said after a meeting with BNP Chairpreson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday evening, that his government would continue to support Bangladeshi people to strengthen democracy.
“The US interaction with the sitting government is not business as usual.
“But we will continue to engage with this government in support of all our programmes for people of Bangladesh. About other programmes, we will assess on a case by case basis,” he told reporters after emerging from the meeting.
Mozena held an hour-long meeting with the BNP chief at her Gulshan office.
He dubbed the current political scenario as a crisis and called for dialogues to resolve issues.
The Awami League formed its second consecutive government after sweeping the parliamentary elections. The US had been calling for polls with all parties contesting the balloting. US officials who came to Dhaka ahead of the polls expressed the same view.
The Awami League leaders had been criticising Mozena’s activities before the elections. One Indian journalist who helped in Bangladesh’s liberation efforts remarked that the ambassador was ‘behaving like a Standing Committee member of BNP.’
Indian media published reports saying a gap had developed between India and the US over Jan 5 elections.
Khaleda has termed the incumbent government illegal, demanding fresh polls.
Mozena told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting the US wanted dialogue to resolve ‘Bangladesh’s ongoing crisis.’
He said he had presented Khaleda with the observations of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal from an ongoing hearing on Bangladesh in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
He said the January elections were faulty and did not reflect the expectations of the people. He also called for an end to violence against Hindus.
Before the elections, Mozena met Khaleda at her residence on Dec 31. Tuesday’s meeting was their first since the elections.
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to Washington Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury who is a BNP Vice-Chairman and Chairperson’s advisers Osman Faruk and Riaz Rahman were present at the meeting.
Chowdhury told reporters Khaleda told the ambassador the people had no faith in the ‘so-called government.’
“They did not come to power with any mandate. Same goes for Parliament. At least 95 percent of the people did not vote in the Jan 5 elections.”
He said Khaleda had pressed home the urgency of holding dialogues between the Awami League and her party.
“She said it was needed to bring back stability and resolve uncertainty in the country.”
Mozena refused to remark on the cable published by WikiLeaks that showed the US embassy had recommended a ban on entry into the US of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman, believing he was “guilty of egregious political corruption”.
Source: Bd news24
