DHAKA: Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin met the Republican Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the United States House Sub-committee on Asia Pacific at the Capitol Hill.

External Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday issued a press release regarding the meeting.

It said Ambassador Ziauddin informed Matt Salmon that the ongoing struggle in Bangladesh is against the extremists, perpetrators of the crimes against humanity and the anti-liberation forces.

Recounting democracy and secularism as principal founding pillars of ruling Awami League as a political party, the ambassador further said how Bangladesh came into being under the vibrant leadership of Father of Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He also said that on the contrary, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami were created under the patronization of a military ruler after the brutal killing of the Father of Nation.

He also said how post 1975, military autocrats systematically provided impunity to the killers of the Father of the Nation and deliberately reinstated the religious and the anti-liberation forces into politics, it added.

Bangladesh Ambassador also informed that, on the first anniversary of the 10th Parliamentary Elections on January 5 of 2015 BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami called for non-stop blockades and strikes in the country resorting to terrorist acts, bomb blasts and arson attacks on motor vehicles and killing of many innocent people.

Ambassador informed that the present aim of the government to contain the anti-liberation forces and extremists in the country as it remained committed to ensure law and order and public safety by all means.

Ziauddin also said how the people in general have not responded to the BNP-led alliance’s violent activities and political programmes and continue with their efforts to go by their daily lives.

“The law enforcement and security agencies remain on high alert to prevent and pre-empt any form of terrorist act. Particular attention is being given to ensure the protection of the religious minorities from any possible attacks by miscreants,” he added.
 
Ambassador informed that Bangladesh under the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working closely with its’ neighbors as well as the United States and all other friendly countries to eliminate extremism and terrorism from within its’ borders and beyond.

He also said that incumbent government under the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted liberal and women friendly policies to bring the women in the mainstream.

He also requested the US government to extend Duty Free Quota Free (DFQF) access to all LDCs including Bangladesh removing the discriminations among the LDCs.

Congressman Matt Salmon, who is a key republican policy maker, assured his best to look at the issue of DFQF and thanked the Ambassador for the detail briefing on the current political situation in Bangladesh.

Counsellor (Political) Nayem Uddin Ahmed of Bangladesh Embassy accompanied the Ambassador during the meeting.

BDST: 1635 HRS, MAR 05, 2015