The British high commissioner in Dhaka has urged all political parties to think of consequences of their actions and refrain from damaging national interest.
High commissioner Robert W Gibson conveyed his country’s concerns at the current situation when he called on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office on Wednesday.
“I have consistently called on all parties to fully consider the effects of their actions and resist from causing further damage to the country’s national interest,” he said in a statement after the meeting with the BNP chief.
The diplomat also urged all parties “to consider confidence-building measures” to defuse the current tension in the country and allow normal life to resume.
“In the long term, I hope that further confidence building measures can be taken that will ultimately break the habitual cycle of violence and disruption that appears to characterise elections in Bangladesh and which would allow all legitimate political activity to take place peacefully,” Gibson said.
He reiterated that the extent of the current violence and disruption to the lives of all people is “distressing and deplorable”.
High commissioner Gibson offered his personal sympathies to Khaleda Zia over the loss of her son Arafat Rahman Coco.
He told her that the UK is “committed to the future stability, development and prosperity of Bangladesh in which we are and will remain close partners”.
Source: Prothom Alo