Bangladesh
BNP Lobbyist BNP has appointed lobbyists to harm the country: AK Abdul Momen
Dhaka, January 25: Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said that BNP has appointed lobbyists abroad to harm the country. At the same time, he said, the lobbyist have also been hired by the Awami League, but only for good governance and to project positive images of the country. He was responding to a question from reporters after the inauguration of "Humanitarian Policy: Here and Now Exhibition" at the Liberation War Museum in the capital's Agargaon on Tuesday (January 25).
Regarding the BNP's recruitment of lobbyists abroad, the Foreign Minister said, "Our information shows that the BNP has recruited many lobbyists. Hiring a lobbyist is not against the law. But it remains to be seen what reasons the lobbyist has hired. When someone gives money to kidnap a person, or when many people give money for the loss of the country, it is very unjust."
He said, "We have enough information that the main purpose of how many lobbyists the BNP has recruited is to harm the country. There may be a quarrel between you and me, but your quarrel is not in the interest of the country."
He also said that the Awami League has appointed lobbyists for good governance and to project positive images of the country.
The minister said, "The BNP had appointed lobbyists so that the war criminals would not be punished. Then the Awami League hired a lobbyist to change the wrong perception. We call it PR fund, not lobbyist recruitment. These have been around for a long time, not new ones. These have been in vogue since the time of Ershad. You are hiring another person to harm the country, to kill someone, to kidnap, these will not be accepted by the people in any way."
Talking about the evidence of BNP lobbyist recruitment for the last 8 years, then why the matter has not been known for so long - in response to the question of the journalists, the Foreign Minister said, Why don't you know before, media people should know this, it is your responsibility. Everything is in the website, nothing is hidden."
In a letter to the UN peacekeeping mission asking for a ban on RAB members, he said, "They are checking and sorting, we are not too worried about that."
