After the United States and the UK, Chine on Sunday expressed deep concern over the recent development in Bangladesh politics and hoped that there would be concrete efforts by Awami League and BNP to resolve crisis through dialogue.
“I hope that the two prominent political parties (AL-BNP) would take concrete efforts to signal each other good wills, and to reestablish people’s confidence in resolving the differences through dialogue,” Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Li Jun said in message Sunday night.
The diplomat also said, “The same as Bangladesh people, I’m deeply worried about the recent development of the political situation.”
Earlier, the spokesperson of the US Embassy in Dhaka Kelly McCarthy said there must be political space so that all parties can express their views freely and peacefully. “This is an essential element of democracy.”
The US also called on all parties to eschew violence saying violence of any nature is not part of the democratic process and is not acceptable.
Events of the past days and hours underscore the urgency of finding a way forward to free, fair and credible elections, said the US Embassy spokesperson.
British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Gibson said, “I’m disappointed that we’ve seen continued confrontational action rather than constructive dialogue between the two main parties that could result in the outcome desired by most ordinary Bangladeshis: free, fair and credible elections in which all parties participate.”
The BNP-led 18-party alliance has enforced an 84-hour nationwide hartal that began at 6 am on Sunday in protest against Friday night’s arrest of senior BNP leaders.
On Friday night, plainclothes police arrested BNP standing committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah from the city’s Karwanbazar area while BNP Chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and Khaleda’s special assistant Shimul Biswas in front of her Gulshan residence.
Source: UNBConnect
