Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin has said the post -1975 military dictators systematically provided impunity to the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and deliberately reinstated the religious fanatics and anti-liberation forces in politics.
He made the remark during his discussion with Congresswoman Jane Harman, Director, President and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a world reputed think tank in Washington DC, on Friday. Ambassador Ziauddin and Wilson Center President Jane Harman discussed various achievements of Bangladesh, women empowerment, human rights, counterterrorism, trade, duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) issues, according to a press release received here from Bangladesh Mission in Washington on Saturday.
He stated the genesis of Bangladesh Awami League as a political party created by the mass people vis-a-vis the other political parties created under the patronage of the military rulers after the brutal killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
The Ambassador said that the people of Bangladesh are secular and traditionally people from all religions live in peace and harmony. He said the present government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed zero tolerance against any form of extremism and terrorism. “Bangladesh is working closely with its neighbors, the United States and other friendly countries to eliminate terrorism and extremism.”
The Ambassador briefed her about Bangladesh Government’s initiatives about repatriation of the killers of the Father of the Nation from the USA. On the DFQF issue, Ambassador Ziauddin told her that Bangladesh along with other Asian and Oceanic Least Developed Countries (LDCs), does not get DFQF access in the US market, whereas the 34 African LDCs under AGOA Group are enjoying the trade facility. A section of LDCs are, therefore, deprived of getting the equal access to the US market. The Ambassador stressed that the US should allow all LDCs to get DFQF access on the basis of justice and fair play. Ziauddin highlighted many development priorities of the present government of Bangladesh, including women empowerment. The envoy said about four million workers in the RMG industry are women who are contributing to poverty alleviation, literacy, stopping child labour and above all containing extremism by influencing the men folks. He said women are transforming the society into a progressive one, and it is a solution for eliminating all forms of terrorism and extremism from the country. Wilson Center President Jane Harman appreciated praised Bangladesh as a Muslim moderate country. She was overwhelmed by the success story of women empowerment in Bangladesh.
She also wanted to know about the latest development in the RMG sector after the Rana Plaza incident.
