SCB condemns US congressmen's letter for deployment of UN peacekeeping forces

Secular Citizens of Bangladesh (SCB) on Sunday expressed its dismay over the recent letter of the US congressmen who called for deploying United Nations peacekeeping forces in Bangladesh during the upcoming national elections "to prevent intimidation, harassment or assault on voters".
The SCB wrote letter to eight out of the 14 congressmen who made the call in a letter addressed to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN.
"We, the citizens of Bangladesh, condemn your letter dated July 27, 2023. We believe that the letter is based on concoction, made with surmise and made with mala fide intention undeserving of the highest stature of US Congressmen," the letter said.
The letter to the Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, is a 'travesty' since the letter is a violation to the House of Representatives Practice and Congressional Standards laid down by the Committee of Ethics, it said.
The United States Supreme Court in a number of cases observed that the members of the congress have limited power to interfere with the internal issues of a foreign country under the US Constitution by the congress members, it mentioned.
"The practice to interfere with a sovereign state's internal matter is also prohibited under the UN Vienna Convention," it said, adding that the statement was made in the letter on the basis of the reports made by one single organisation of Bangladesh, such as Odhikar.
"We would kindly draw your attention towards the fact that as soon as the aforesaid letter was made public, the political activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) went rogue and made violent attacks on the law enforcing agency on July 29, 2023, as if the BNP activists wanted to establish the claims made in your letter," the SCB said in the letter.
The letter further said: "We humbly discourage such practices. Your letter not only is triggering violence on the streets affecting general people of Bangladesh, but also internationally affecting our image as a peaceful, law abiding and secular country."
SCB also reiterated the US government's commitment towards a free and fair election in Bangladesh and urged the congressmen to abide by the US Foreign Policy and to stand with the peaceful citizens of Bangladesh.
Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario CSC, Archbishop Bijoy D'Cruze OMI, Dr Biman Chandra Barua, Dhaka University (DU) Professor at Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies Dr Asim Sarkar, DU Professor at Department of Sanskrit, Dr Suborno Barua, DU Professor of Department of International Business and Dr Milton Biswas, Professor Head of Department of Bengali at Jagannath University, among others, wrote the letter to the congressmen.