Kerry calls Hasina

US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over phone about the current situation and execution of war crimes verdict.

"I can confirm Secretary Kerry spoke with Sheikh Hasina today about the current situation in Bangladesh," Kelly McCarthy of the US embassy in Dhaka told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.

She, however, did not provide details of the conversation, which is seen as being significant.

Sheikh Hasina’s Information Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, however, said the two leaders discussed Quader Molla’s execution.

He told reporters at the Ganabhaban gate that the Prime Minister had spoken to Kerry at the latter’s ‘request’.

The Prime Minister told him about her government’s tough stance against terrorism and militancy, Iqbal said.

Kerry expressed deep concern over the widespread violence during the current shutdowns and blockades.

He also hailed the political consensus among the parties, the adviser said.

Kerry had pitched for holding the national election in a peaceful environment and talks to strengthen democratic institutions, Iqbal added.

The two leaders spoke over phone at a time when UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco is visiting Bangladesh to broker peace amid the two warring parties over the nature of the poll-time government.

The UN chief’s envoy held a series of talks with various groups since Saturday to bring the Awami League and BNP to the negotiating table.

Top leaders of the two parties held two rounds of talks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The execution of the verdict of war criminal Quader Molla gained momentum even while the UN diplomat was in Dhaka.

The government on Tuesday said the Jamaat leader would be hanged that midnight. But execution was stayed by the Chamber Justice.

UN rights chief Navi Pillay on Tuesday called for “an eleventh-hour stay” of Molla’s execution.

She said Molla was convicted of war crimes “in a trial that did not meet international standards for imposition of the death penalty”.

Earlier on Monday, two independent UN human rights experts called for stalling Molla’s execution.

The US embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday appealed to those responsible to end the current spell of violence immediately and put an end to the climate of “fear and insecurity”.

In a statement a day after the two feuding parties began talks, the US embassy said they felt “encouraged”.

“…... With goodwill, the two parties can find a way to provide the elections that the Bangladeshi people want and deserve”, the statement said.

The statement reiterated US Assistant Secretary Nisha Desai Biswal’s call that “violence can never be part of the democratic process and is not acceptable, and must stop immediately”.

The embassy statement condemned “the senseless violence of past days" as being "extremely reprehensible as innocent people, including young children, have fallen victim to arson and bombs”.

It said "all parties should have space to freely and peacefully express their views".

“The government bears responsibility to provide such space; the opposition parties bear responsibility to use such space in a peaceful manner,” the statement said.