BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul meets US Ambassador Haas

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has met US Ambassador Peter Haas as foreign diplomats have become more active about Bangladesh’s politics before the upcoming general election.

No BNP leader agreed to comment on the sudden hour-long meeting at the ambassador’s house in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Tuesday afternoon.

The BNP also remained mum about their last meeting with Haas on Apr 16, but the US Embassy said they discussed the importance of free and fair elections without any violence.

The opposition party is in a standoff with the Awami League over who will be in power during the election.

The BNP has launched a movement demanding the resignation of the government and the installation of a neutral caretaker administration before the polls.

The ruling party has rejected the demand, saying unelected governments will never be allowed in Bangladesh again.

In this situation, the US has threatened to restrict visas for Bangladeshis responsible for “undermining the democratic election process”.

As the foreign envoys, especially from the West and their allies, started their growing concern over fears of violence and irregularities in the election, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has threatened action against foreign ambassadors if they “overstep the limits to meddle in internal affairs”.

His remarks on Monday followed recent meetings between Japanese Ambassador Iwama Kiminori with the Election Commission and the BNP.