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Published : 15 Dec 2022, 01:20 AM
US Ambassador Peter Haas concluded a meeting early on Wednesday at a BNP leader’s home as he was confronted by the families of servicemen who disappeared during the regime of Bangladesh’s first military ruler and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
The families, under the banner of Maayer Kanna, or A Mother’s Tears, tried to give him a memorandum when he visited the home of BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon, an alleged victim of enforced disappearance, in the capital’s Shahinbagh on Wednesday.
Sumon’s mother Afroza Islam Ankhi is the coordinator of Maayer Daak, or A Mother’s Call, an organisation of families who have disappeared in recent years under the Awami League government.
The members of Maayer Kanna had started gathering outside Sumon’s home before the arrival of the US envoy in the morning.
As he left the home after more than half an hour, the members of Mayer Kanna stopped him and sought Washington’s support in investigating the disappearance of their loved ones and the punishment of those behind their deaths by hanging following verdicts of kangaroo courts during Zia’s rule.
Amid pushing and shoving, the ambassador got in his car and left the place. He later talked to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen over the matter.
A spokesman for the embassy said: “The ambassador concluded his meeting early on the security concerns and we have raised this issue with the government of Bangladesh.”
Speaking to journalists in the afternoon, Momen said Haas told him that he faced many people during the visit and they tried to tell him something.
He left the place early out of fear that the demonstrators would block his car, the foreign minister said. “He [Haas] was quite unhappy.”
Momen said the government is committed to providing foreign diplomats with adequate security.
Citing the US ambassador, Momen said no one attacked Haas or his people. His car might have got a scratch, but the ambassador was not sure about it.
The foreign minister also said the government was unaware of the US ambassador’s visit and Haas could not say who leaked the information as the visit drew a lot of media attention.
“They [US] say there is a lack of freedom of speech in our country. But our media is very vocal. They don’t leave the scene when something happens. I can keep them 10-15 feet away from you [Haas] for your protection, but I can’t block them.”
“I can also keep away the people who were there, but I can’t obstruct them. It’s a country of free speech. They must say what they have to.”
