The government is firmly pledge-bound to organise a free and fair election and it will not bow down to any external forces regarding the country’s democratic processes and elections. No internal conspiracies and foreigners will be allowed to interfere in the electoral process.
Law minister Anisul Huq, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and state minister for foreign affairs Md. Shahriar Alam said these at a seminar organised by foreign ministry marking the International Human Rights Day, on Sunday.
Law minister Anisul Huq addressed the seminar titled ‘Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: Bangladesh Perspective’ at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, as chief guest.
He said the issue of protecting human rights is at the centre of the government’s priorities. The government has also taken many initiatives to reach this goal. The Bangladesh government has given shelter to the Rohingyas as it values human rights.
No internal forces will be allowed to conspire while no foreigners will be allowed to interfere in the process of next general election
Anisul Huq further said the government is pledge-bound to organise a free and fair election to protect the rights of the people.
Addressing the seminar, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said, “No internal forces will be allowed to conspire while no foreigners will be allowed to interfere in the process of next general election. The government is pledge-bound to protect the rights of vote, human rights, justice and freedom of expression.”
“Awami League believes in fair election. We are also pledge-bound to protect the rights of voting,” the minister added.
Abdul Momen further said some of the non-government organisations in Bangladesh publish politically motivated reports on human rights situation. Many of their information are not correct.
The Bangladesh foreign minister criticised the rights situation in the US and UK at the seminar.
Regarding a recent joint statement of 15 diplomatic missions in Dhaka, state minister for foreign affairs Md. Shahriar Alam said, “I have told it before as well, democratic principles and values are at the core of the statehood and ethos of Bangladesh. I would call upon the foreign missions in Dhaka to stop breaching the diplomatic norms and etiquettes and interfering in the internal issues of Bangladesh.”
He further said, “I want to say, see yourself in the mirror before pointing finger at anyone else.”
The state minister for foreign affairs mentioned at the seminar that the government is sincere to maintain cordial relation with foreign guests.
Shahriar Alam said the government will not bow down to any foreign pressure. People of this country are the source of power of the government of Bangladesh. It is the people who will decide who will rule them.
News agency UNB adds: Foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka including US Ambassador Peter Haas, British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson, EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley, Swedish Ambassador Alex Berg von Linde and Maldives High Commissioner Shiruzimath Sameer, were present.
“We have achieved our independence to uphold democracy, justice, human rights and human dignity,” said Foreign Minister Momen, adding that everyone in this country is a strong believer of human rights, justice and fairness.
He, however, said this is not a time to feel better, rather it is time to examine and remind them that they have a long way to go.
“There is nothing perfect, there are problems. We all have to work together in partnership and in collaboration to help improve the situations,” Momen said.
He said they all should work in unison with an open heart and with sincerity so that they can help improve the situation and uphold human dignity.
“The source of her government’s power is the mass of the people of this country; and the people will determine who will rule this nation. Neither any external power nor any internal conspiracy will be able to determine this,” said the State Minister for Foreign Affairs while delivering the keynote speech.
He said they will never give up their fight to protect democracy, human dignity and fundamental freedom on this soil.
Shahriar called upon the concerned foreign Missions in Dhaka to abide by diplomatic norms and etiquette that they themselves expect from foreign missions in their country to practice.
“Government of Bangladesh is patient and cordial to our foreign guests and is sincerely willing to maintain friendly relations to all nations, but we do have some red lines,” he said.
The state minister further said Bangladesh Awami League, the party that has led the birth of this nation, has the glorious history of life-long struggle of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and other great leaders, against authoritarian regimes of Pakistan and later Bangladesh.
Alam said globally, the human rights agenda continues to remain as the most neglected domain in the works of the UN, principally due to the impasse created by the politicisation of the human rights agenda by a handful of countries.
Developing countries like Bangladesh are being targeted for undue pressure by a handful of countries, he said.
Alam said out of the 76 cases of so-called “Enforced Disappearances” communicated to Bangladesh by the UN Working Group, a case is as old as 28 years, while 10 people have reappeared.
Of the rest 66, police found that 28 had cases filed against them at the court/police station including murder cases and they are absconding.
Out of the rest of the 38, police did not receive any feedback from the relatives of 10. Other 28 cases are under investigation, he said, stressing that the UN needs to do its own analysis before blatantly accepting the allegations from the “politically motivated NGOs”.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said Bangladesh was born through genocide and after five years after the independence, the Father of the Nation and his family members were assassinated. Even then, an indemnity bill was passed so the killers were not tried.
Prime Minister Hasina, who faced sheer injustice, is determined to uphold human rights and justice for all.
Bangladesh Nari Progoti Sangha Executive Director Rokeya Kabir reminded that the fanatic forces that worked against Bangladesh’s independence should not be allowed in Bangladesh’s politics.
She reminded all political parties not to use religion in politics, which in turn takes women freedom and democracy backward.
Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs Director professor Mizanur Rahman, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Kamal Uddin Ahmed and former Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Abdul Hannan also spoke.