US never raised poll-time caretaker govt issue, says FM

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said that in their series of meetings with senior US officials, the issue of 'caretaker government' or 'participatory election' was not raised at all.
"They want free and fair elections and we have taken all the steps to ensure it," the minister said while talking to reporters after his meeting with the visiting US pre-election observation delegation.
The six-member team arrived in Dhaka on Saturday to assess whether the country had any conducive environment for sending poll observers.
Responding to a question, the FM said that the government did not bother about whether BNP would participate in the polls or not.
"If people cast their votes in the election, then that will be regarded as participatory election. If any party does not want to take part in the election, that is up to them. We do not bother about that," he said.
Responding to another question, he said he was not aware of any information that the US was going to impose sanctions against Bangladeshi businessmen.
"These are propaganda by a section of media. Do you want sanctions, will you be happy if they impose sanctions?" the FM said. Those who were spreading these types of news went mad, he added.
About statements against the Bangladesh government by lawmakers of different countries, the minister said that being a lawmaker or senator did not mean that he could not be bought.
"You have seen that a US senator is facing indictment on a corruption charge. Nowadays statements can be issued through paying money," he noted.
The FM said that he briefed the US team about the political history of Bangladesh and about the economic and social development achieved by the present government.
"I told them about our development in different sectors and then they told me 'no one can defeat you'," the minister said.
He told the US team that media was totally free in the country.
"I have presented statistics which show that during the prime time of our television channels, opposition parties get 80 per cent coverage," he said.

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