DHAKA, 20 March 2004 — In an unprecedented move, senior diplomats from 15 countries held talks with Tarique Rahman, senior joint secretary general of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party and eldest son of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and expressed their concern over political violence across the country.
The move has surprised senior ministers in Khaleda’s Cabinet, political sources said in Dhaka yesterday.
Tarique Rahman virtually controls the young Turks of the ruling party who are alleged to have let loose a reign of terror against former BNP founder and AQM President Badruddoza Chowdhury and a former lawmaker M.A. Mannan.
The high commissioners and ambassadors from Bangladesh’s key development partners, including the United States, the Netherlands, European Union, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Australia and Japan, wanted to know political developments and crises facing Bangladesh.
The diplomats at the talks at the residence of the Australian high commissioner expressed concern over violence against main opposition Awami League (AL), alternative political stream convener AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and former army Maj. Abdul Mannan’s businesses, human rights violation and pressure on the press, especially by BNP activists.
Diplomats asked Tarique to show more democratic attitude to political opponents and stressed early solution to current political stalemate through a meaningful dialogue with the opposition. Sources said Tarique skipped questions on governance, as he is not holding any government office and highlighted what he termed the ‘negative politics’ of the opposition.
He also denied the allegations of attack on newspersons by the activists of BNP.
The diplomats’ talks with Tarique surprised key BNP leaders who could not understand the meaning of what they said was a protocol-breaking meeting.
Talking to newsmen, an influential BNP leader said the diplomats could have met the BNP chairperson or secretary-general or top policymakers for such talks.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a diplomat said they met most ruling party policymakers and senior ministers in recent days and expressed their concerns over the deteriorating political situation. But the discussions went meaningless, he said.
Meanwhile, operations at the southwestern Mongla port came to a halt yesterday as the local unit of the ruling BNP enforced an indefinite strike in Mongla port area protesting the Thursday night killing of a party leader, M.A. Baten.
No loading and unloading were done at the port while offices and other business establishments remained closed and vehicles stayed off the road during the first day of the shutdown.
The local leaders of BNP announced that they would continue the Mongla port “cripple” program until Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury visited the port and assured them of arresting and giving punishment to those involved in the killing of Baten. A tense situation was prevailing at Mongla port.
