Staff Reporter :
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that he had asked the Indian government to do whaterever necessary for keeping Sheikh Hasina government in power.
With this remark he has again come under limelight of strong criticism from a cross section of people.
His own party leaders and workers did not agree with him and the opposition parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have sharply criticised his comment.
The ruling party leader Abdul Momen while attending an event of Janmashtami in Chattogram on Thursday said that during his visit to India, he requested the Indian government to do whatever was necessary to keep Sheikh Hasina government in power.
He also came under the deluge of criticism for his recent remarks that Bangladeshi citizens are living in paradise amid the soaring prices of daily commodities. The minister again gave a clarification of his Thursday’s speech after paying tribute to mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara.
He told the journalists that he requested Indian government to keep the incumbent government in power for the sake of stability in this region especially between the two countries.
Meanwhile, he said that some bad people were creating instability in the country but the Sheikh Hasina government did not want any unstable situation here.
Even he sounded critical about the media and said, “Sometimes media has been propagating cooked-up stories in order to create an unstable situation.”
Explaining his remarks on Thursday, he said, “While visiting to India, Chief Minister of Assam thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. I asked him why? He said that Sheikh Hasina declared zero tolerance to terrorism and Bangladesh cannot be the hub for terrorists. After this announcement, there is no activity of terrorism in Assam, Meghalaya and other districts of India.” “The Chief Minister also said that India is developing for not having any terror activity. Assam is getting more investment now. I have said that if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stays in power, stability will prevail here. When stability continues, we can see the torch of development,” He added.
“Then I said that some people deliver incendiary speeches. Your country has some bad people, so do we have. They make a mountain out of a molehill. We are committed to keep the stability proclaimed by the Sheikh Hasina. We want your cooperation in this regard,” the Foreign Minister said.
“If we can maintain stability, there will be communal harmony and there will be no uncertainty. We want stability in this region. We don’t want any instability of any kind,” the minister noted.
Drawing attention to the critics of the government, he said that they should be aware of the fact that if the country becomes unstable they will also suffer.
“We don’t want any instability. But your media sometimes propagate many cooked-up stories to spread instability. It is regrettable. Such propaganda is continuing both home and abroad in an organised way,” Dr Momen said.
Regarding the soaring prices of commodities, he said, “People are in great trouble for the high prices. Suddenly the prices have gone up. The prices of diesel have increased by Tk 28 per litre. The price hike should have been less than one taka. But due to it, the prices of all things go up by leaps and bounds. We are anxious for it.”
“Sheikh Hasina government is the friend of common people. We are in power because of the laymen. Our only goal is to check the sufferings of people. When some people said that Bangladesh is going to a Sri Lanka, then I rejected it. We are aggrieved for the price hike,” he added.
He also said that the soaring price of diesel is not at all acceptable and there is a manipulation.
“When I said that the inflation rate in the USA, UK and Turkiye is above 10 percent while ours is only seven percent and we are in better position, then they (media) made a mountain out of a molehill,” he added.
“Bangladesh has freedom of speech. Do we control it? Media will make story. But we get hurt when it is a pack of lies,” he continued.
He also said that after the killing of Bangabandhu and his family members in 1975, there were propaganda like stealing of all quilts by the then Red Crescent Chief, looting of banks by Bangabandhu family members and comparing Bangladesh with the portrait of fish-net clad lady Basanti. “Such propaganda is continuing in an organised way,” he added.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the party or the government does not own Foreign Minister’s comment and it was his ‘personal opinion’.
“Awami League never requested India to keep it to power or bring to power. Nobody has been given the responsibility on behalf of Sheikh Hasina. It can be someone’s person opinion. The source of power of Awami League is people,” he added.
He said that Bangladesh did not want any strain relations with India because Bangladesh faced trouble for such relations.
Earlier, Quader warned his party leaders and workers to be careful while delivering speeches amid the dire economic situation of the country.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that he had asked the Indian government to do whaterever necessary for keeping Sheikh Hasina government in power.
With this remark he has again come under limelight of strong criticism from a cross section of people.
His own party leaders and workers did not agree with him and the opposition parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have sharply criticised his comment.
The ruling party leader Abdul Momen while attending an event of Janmashtami in Chattogram on Thursday said that during his visit to India, he requested the Indian government to do whatever was necessary to keep Sheikh Hasina government in power.
He also came under the deluge of criticism for his recent remarks that Bangladeshi citizens are living in paradise amid the soaring prices of daily commodities. The minister again gave a clarification of his Thursday’s speech after paying tribute to mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara.
He told the journalists that he requested Indian government to keep the incumbent government in power for the sake of stability in this region especially between the two countries.
Meanwhile, he said that some bad people were creating instability in the country but the Sheikh Hasina government did not want any unstable situation here.
Even he sounded critical about the media and said, “Sometimes media has been propagating cooked-up stories in order to create an unstable situation.”
Explaining his remarks on Thursday, he said, “While visiting to India, Chief Minister of Assam thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. I asked him why? He said that Sheikh Hasina declared zero tolerance to terrorism and Bangladesh cannot be the hub for terrorists. After this announcement, there is no activity of terrorism in Assam, Meghalaya and other districts of India.” “The Chief Minister also said that India is developing for not having any terror activity. Assam is getting more investment now. I have said that if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stays in power, stability will prevail here. When stability continues, we can see the torch of development,” He added.
“Then I said that some people deliver incendiary speeches. Your country has some bad people, so do we have. They make a mountain out of a molehill. We are committed to keep the stability proclaimed by the Sheikh Hasina. We want your cooperation in this regard,” the Foreign Minister said.
“If we can maintain stability, there will be communal harmony and there will be no uncertainty. We want stability in this region. We don’t want any instability of any kind,” the minister noted.
Drawing attention to the critics of the government, he said that they should be aware of the fact that if the country becomes unstable they will also suffer.
“We don’t want any instability. But your media sometimes propagate many cooked-up stories to spread instability. It is regrettable. Such propaganda is continuing both home and abroad in an organised way,” Dr Momen said.
Regarding the soaring prices of commodities, he said, “People are in great trouble for the high prices. Suddenly the prices have gone up. The prices of diesel have increased by Tk 28 per litre. The price hike should have been less than one taka. But due to it, the prices of all things go up by leaps and bounds. We are anxious for it.”
“Sheikh Hasina government is the friend of common people. We are in power because of the laymen. Our only goal is to check the sufferings of people. When some people said that Bangladesh is going to a Sri Lanka, then I rejected it. We are aggrieved for the price hike,” he added.
He also said that the soaring price of diesel is not at all acceptable and there is a manipulation.
“When I said that the inflation rate in the USA, UK and Turkiye is above 10 percent while ours is only seven percent and we are in better position, then they (media) made a mountain out of a molehill,” he added.
“Bangladesh has freedom of speech. Do we control it? Media will make story. But we get hurt when it is a pack of lies,” he continued.
He also said that after the killing of Bangabandhu and his family members in 1975, there were propaganda like stealing of all quilts by the then Red Crescent Chief, looting of banks by Bangabandhu family members and comparing Bangladesh with the portrait of fish-net clad lady Basanti. “Such propaganda is continuing in an organised way,” he added.
Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the party or the government does not own Foreign Minister’s comment and it was his ‘personal opinion’.
“Awami League never requested India to keep it to power or bring to power. Nobody has been given the responsibility on behalf of Sheikh Hasina. It can be someone’s person opinion. The source of power of Awami League is people,” he added.
He said that Bangladesh did not want any strain relations with India because Bangladesh faced trouble for such relations.
Earlier, Quader warned his party leaders and workers to be careful while delivering speeches amid the dire economic situation of the country.
