Govt briefs foreign diplomats about Oct 28 situation

The foreign ministry has briefed the foreign diplomats about October 28 situation, centering the BNP’s rally.

The briefing was held at Jamuna state guest house in the city on Monday afternoon.

Ambassadors of the different countries and representative of different international organizations attended the briefing which they said was called in a short notice.

Law Minister Anusul Huq, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Prime Minister’s private sector affairs adviser Salmman F Rahman accompanied Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen during the briefing.

“We are shocked what unfolded on October 28. We are not however surprised being experienced BNP's dreadful violent events in the past. They have not changed much,” AK Abdul Momen said.

The foreign minister said, “BNP often played victim to misguide diplomatic missions and our foreign friends in order for gaining sympathy.”

Momen told the envoys “BNP and its allies have a long history of violence and aggression”.

Apart from brutally beating one policeman to death, he said, the opposition activists attacked the residences of the Chief Justice and other judges, torched six police outposts while 65 police officers were required hospital admission for their wounds.

“They even set fire to the Police Hospital premises and ambulance causing disruption of emergency medical services,” the minister said.

 “They were seen gathering sticks, lathis, iron rods etc. for the last few days and hiding them for use on the day of the demonstration,” Momen said.

“We reaffirm our government’s strong and unwavering stance to stick to the democratic process as mandated by the Constitution and hold free, fair and credible elections in time,” the minister added.

Momen said the opposition was trying also to ‘misguide’ ordinary people as “we saw a so-called ‘adviser’ to US President Joe Biden speaking to the press at the BNP party office flanked by senior BNP leaders” while later the man was found to be an “imposter”.