Ambassador Ziauddin meets Congressman (D) Mike Honda : Govt. determined to eliminate extremism, ensure democratic dispensation: Ziauddin

Washington, D.C : Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin met Democrat Congressman Mike Honda at the Capitol Hill Thursday (11 June) and discussed current political situation in Bangladesh with particular reference to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s pledge to root out extremism and ensure democratic dispensation in the country.

Discussing the political situation in Bangladesh, Ambassador Ziauddin said that the government’s present struggle is against extremists, perpetrators of the crimes against humanity and anti-liberation forces in Bangladesh.

Ziauddin explained the genesis of Bangladesh Awami League as a political party established in late ‘40s soon after the creation of Pakistan. Among the principal founding pillars of the party were democracy and secularism, which reflected the people’s aspiration. In due course the people’s party became vibrant under the leadership of the then young and promising leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; he subsequently led the Bangalee people to their freedom and independence struggle, Ambassador added.

The Ambassador 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, Bangabandgu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The 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.

Ziauddin said that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has vowed “zero tolerance” against all forms of extremism and terrorism. Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working closely with the USA, neighbors and other friendly countries to eliminate extremism and terrorism from Bangladesh and even beyond.

The Ambassador discussed the constitutional obligations and other perspectives of holding the 10th national parliamentary elections in 2014. He said that this parliamentary election is marked as the triumph of democratic, secular and progressive values over the religious extremism and rampant violence. As the Awami League was voted to power with clear majority, the Government of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working hard to bring about qualitative changes in the lives of the people of Bangladesh, he added.

Ziauddin said that Bangladesh has been implementing the US Action Plan to ensure worker’s rights and safety in the RMG sector. The Government is steadfast to ensure the labour rights and safety in the RMG sector to make the industry productive and sustainable.

The Ambassador explained the context of creation of ‘International Crime Tribunals’ and said that these trials will end the culture of impunity and ensure justice to the victims who had been in a trauma for the last four decades.

He added that, the convicts can appeal to the Supreme Court against the verdicts of the Tribunals. He mentioned that even in case of so many countries in the world there had been no such recourse to the apex court of the land for appeal, but to an appeal chamber of the same tribunals.

Congressman Mike Honda who is a key Democrat policymaker thanked the Ambassador for the detail briefing on the political situation in Bangladesh. Political Counselor Nayem Uddin Ahmed accompanied the Ambassador.