Bangladesh
Abdul Momen Habit of giving dharna to foreigners should be changed: Foreign Minister
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, Oct 12: Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen said, due to the colonial mentality, we still prefer something from the foreign. That's why we give dharna before them. We have to get out of this habit.
'Fair elections in Bangladesh are not possible if violence continues' -�in response to this statement by Peter Haas, the US ambassador to Dhaka, the Foreign Minister said these to journalists on Tuesday (October 11).
Addressing the media, Momen said, you also force him to say. He (ambassador) was forced to answer. It is better if you don't give dharna to foreign countries. Come to us. They spoke because they went to them (foreigners).
Momen said that democracy has different forms in different countries. Bangladesh is the leader of democracy. We gave blood for democracy in 1971, 3 million people sacrificed their lives. Where else in the world? We have struggled in this country when people's voices had been stifled, when people's right to democracy was taken away.
In 1971, during the liberation war, where was the United States during the genocide in Bangladesh? Dr. Momen asked this question, what will others teach us. We are vocal about Palestine. We are not a superpower, but we are vocal where injustice is done. This is Bangladesh.
He said, when the genocide was happening in this country, they did not even come close. No one sheltered those people when the genocide was going on in Myanmar. Who did it, Bangladesh did it. Sheikh Hasina has opened the border. Protected human rights.
The present government is committed to conducting free, fair and transparent elections and is not in favor of the death of a single citizen of the country during the election process, said the foreign minister. He said, we are trying so that not a single person dies.
"There are good and bad in every country's democracy," he added.
