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Published : 21 Jul 2023, 08:55 PM
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has lashed out at foreign diplomats for their comments on Bangladesh’s internal affairs.
“Foreigners think they are kings of our country,” he said.
The foreign minister did not specify which diplomats had made such statements, but said that some diplomats ‘got a kick out of’ speaking about internal matters because of how widely publicised they are by the media.
“Diplomats do not go around and band together like activists anywhere else in the world,” Momen said on Friday in response to questions from the media at an awards ceremony at the Sylhet District Shilpakala Academy.
The minister urged the media to boycott those diplomats who spoke about Bangladesh’s internal affairs.
The Awami League government has criticised foreign diplomats for commenting on political issues in Bangladesh. On several occasions, they have even summoned them.
The comments of some diplomats on the Dhaka-17 bypolls on Jul 17 has incensed the ruling party.
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud reminded diplomats of the Vienna Convention after statements came from the missions of 11 countries in Europe over the attack.
He said their statements violated the agreement and urged them to adhere to the convention.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader also spoke out on Friday, saying that the Western countries had taken a particular interest in Bangladesh.
“Does nothing like this happen in their countries?” the road transport minister said.
“There is a major crisis in world politics. The Russia-Ukraine war is causing geopolitical shifts. And yet, amid this disruption, the leading world powers are concerned about Bangladesh.”
“Some incidents have occurred, but don’t things like this happen in their countries? But they are more interested in what is happening here.”
When UK High Commissioner Sarah Cooke stressed the importance of an election with the participation of all parties during a meeting with Quader on Thursday, the Awami League leader fired back by asking whether the UK has an election system whereby the prime minister resigns, parliament dissolves, and a caretaker government is installed ahead of a general election.
Highlighting the widespread violence and loss of lives in the panchayat elections in West Bengal, Foreign Minister Momen said on Friday, “Forty people died in the panchayat elections. Not a single country spoke out. When something happened in our country – no matter who or what was involved – there were immediate shouts of outrage.”
“This is interference in internal affairs, which isn’t even close to the rules of the Vienna Convention. They feel free to do this because Bangladesh is a poor country.”
