Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources in Dhaka though confirms that United States’ secretary of states, Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in May 5, 2012 it is clearly signaled by other sources that the US administration may call of the visit considering prevailing volatile political situation Bangladesh as well as international outcry on ruling party’s alleged involvement in enforced disappearance of various individuals, which includes the disappearance of opposition leader and former Member of Parliament, M Ilias Ali. Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party as well as a large number of rights groups has already written petitions and letters to the US Department of State seeking its immediate initiatives in putting “substantial pressure” on the ruling party in Bangladesh in stopping enforced disappearance, secret murders and all such forms of heinous crime as well as intimidation of political opponents. Political analysts in Washington say, Hillary Clinton’s Bangladesh tour at such a critical time would only give encouragement to the ruling party in continuing its state-patronized terror, which will certainly put huge negative impact on President Barack Obama’s re-election run in November this year. It said, “US voters will certainly take the visit of Hillary Clinton to Bangladesh at such crucial timing as Obama administration’s endorsement and support towards ruling Bangladesh Awami League, which already is accused of massive corruption, nepotism, vandalism, enforced disappearance, secret murders and numerous forms of state-patronized crime.”
Another source inside MOFA told Weekly Blitz that the Indian administration is pursuing Hillary Clinton’s Dhaka tour on May 5 as on the same day Indian minister Pranab Mukherjee is also scheduled to arrive in Dhaka. It is expected that, Indian government may use Hillary Clinton’s influence in getting few more protocols and agreements signed with Bangladesh government, which would unilaterally benefit India. The source further said, the Indian government is also trying to use the US secretary of state in influencing the Bangladeshi opposition parties in accepting participating in next general election under the political government of Bangladesh Awami League.
Though Bangladesh government has leaked the “scoop” of visit of the US secretary of states in May, there had been no such confirmation on this claim from any of the valid diplomatic sources in Washington or Capitol Hill. “There is no such specific date of visit of the US secretary of states to Bangladesh at least in coming weeks”, a source said.
Source: Blitz Weekly