US ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas paid a courtesy call upon home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday, Sunday. The home minister later told journalists that during the meeting the ambassador has wanted to know if the roads would be closed on 28 October, the day of BNP's programme, or if any other measures would be taken. The home minister also spoke to the media about the other issues they had discussed, as well as Peter Haas' questions and his answers.
However, the US embassy on Sunday informed the media that there had been no discussions with the home minister on whether the streets would be kept closed on 28 October. Ambassador Peter Haas has stressed on the importance of peaceful rallies and being able to join political programmes freely.
A press release signed by the senior public relations officer of the home ministry, Md Sharif Mahmud, was issued today, Monday, with details of the discussion.
The press release said that Peter Haas met with home minister Asaduzzman Khan at 2:30 PM yesterday, Sunday. The meeting which took place in a very cordial atmosphere, discussed the forthcoming election, the 28 October rally, Durga Puja, the issue of Rohingya who fled from Rohingya and took shelter in Bangladesh, and other relevant issues. During the discussions, Peter Haas asked several questions and wanted to know views on various issues.
The minister spoke at a briefing after the meeting. In replying to newsmen's questions at the briefing, the minister made statements based on the general issues discussed at the meeting and also on information outside of the discussion.