Staff Reporter :Diplomats of some foreign countries, including US and UK, have urged Bangladesh government and opposition BNP to take initiatives to restore peace in the country. They made the call during a meeting with BNP chairperson Khaled Zia at her Gulshan office at 6:30pm on Tuesday. It was not immediately known whether the diplomats would meet the government with the same appeal. US ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat and British High Commissioner Robert Gibson, among others, were present at the meeting that continued for about two hours. The diplomats met with Khaleda Zia at a time when a Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against her in two graft cases and directed the police to search her Gulshan office where she has been staying for about two months.The diplomats left the place at 8:30 pm boarding a microbus of Diplomatic Core [da-65-511] with police protection, sources said.”We are very concerned over the present situation of Bangladesh. We have called both the sides [Government and opposition BNP] to take initiatives to restore peace in the country,” Australian High Commissioner Greg Wilcock told the newsmen after emerging from the meeting.He said: “It needs stability to keep democratic process alive in Bangladesh. At the same time, the ongoing violence must be stopped to ensure democracy, human rights and economic progress in the country [Bangladesh].”Detailing the discussion of the meeting, he said, “We earlier held meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister to discuss the current political crisis. We discussed with Khaleda Zia about the outcome of that meeting. In fact, today’s meeting is the continuation of said meeting.” Of the EU diplomats, there were ambassadors of the European Union, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Denmark. Apart from them, the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka Li Jun was also present in the meeting. BNP chairperson’s Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas welcomed the guests at the office gate on their arrival.Earlier, Robert Gibson, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, held an hour long one-on-one meeting with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office on February 10.European Union Parliamentary delegation also held a meeting with Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan political office on February 17.
