BD to seek US clarifications on HR report

Bangladesh said it would seek explanation on every issue of the Human Rights Report 2021, published by the US State Department, during the upcoming meetings with the country.
"As a responsible state, we have decided that we will talk to the United States over every issue - mentioned in this report," State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said while talking to the reporters at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
"We will ask for explanations, and for a way forward, so that we can be able to have a constructive engagement to further strengthen our bilateral ties."
Bangladesh would also ask the US to exclude some issues, like - gay and lesbian rights, which are totally contradictory to its religious and social practices. Otherwise, their credibility would be under question, he noted.
"One should be very clear that Bangladesh government is solely responsible for the domestic management of the country, and it does not expect any interference from anybody in this regard."
The state minister admitted that the US State Department report was frustrating for Bangladesh, and clearly mentioned that the country never expected others to intervene in its domestic affairs.
He mentioned that the report was based on some sources, which are weak and being operated by people having a clear political agenda.
"Bangladesh has been praised by everybody in the world for its generous humanitarian support to the Rohingya refugees, but the report has failed to include these appreciations."
Mr Alam said RAB is such an institution, for which people of the country feel proud, as it contributed to curbing terrorism, militancy and criminal activities from the country to a great extent. Any effort to malign such an institution is really unfortunate, and unacceptable.
According to the state minister, though Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in improving labour standards here, the report presented a dismal picture (in this regard).
He questioned how a country like the US, which has not ratified six of the eight conventions of the International Labor Organisation (ILO), can question the status of labour rights - referring to the ILO.
"Even one of the former US ambassadors clearly mentioned that Bangladesh has made around 98 per cent progress in improving labour standard."
Mr Alam noted that day by day the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh are becoming safe havens for various criminal activities - posing a serious challenge for the law-enforcers.
So there is an urgency for the authorities concerned to take proper measures to curb these criminal activities, he added, in response to the criticism by the State Department's report on human rights violation in the Rohingya camps.
Referring to the killing of Mohibullah, a Rohingya leader, the state minister said the group that wants to remain in Bangladesh to carry on the criminal activities was instrumental behind the killing of Mohibullah, as he was vocal for their repatriation to Myanmar.
Mr Alam also mentioned that many rich countries refused to take refugees to their lands. But, Bangladesh provided shelter to more than one million Rohingyas - despite its limited resources.
Citing some example of anomalies in the US State Department report, he stated that the Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) report said 606 people were killed in extra-judicial killings in 2018.
Whereas the ASK, in its report, actually said 275 people were killed in 2018, and it remained inconclusive whether they were victims of extra-judicial killings or not.
"It shows that the quality of research and data of the report was very poor."
According to the state minister, since 1991, when democratic rules returned to Bangladesh, the country has made tremendous progress in strengthening the constitutional institutions, especially under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina within a very short period of time.
"Unfortunately, there is no appreciation of this achievement in the State Department's report."
He made it very clear that the countries, which have representations in Bangladesh, should know the history of its recent past to understand the dynamics of its society.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com