bdnews24.com :
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has expressed his displeasure over US pressure on various issues, including Bangladesh’s internal politics.
The BNP’s ‘rogue intellect’ was making the US commit a mistake, he said, while talking to reporters at the inauguration of the private-sector 28MW Shahjahan Ullah Power Plant at Kumargaon in Sylhet on Friday.
The minister was reacting only days after a senior US official said at a Senate hearing warned that the ‘flawed’ elections of Jan 5 had put ‘strategically important’ Bangladesh at risk of instability.
“The election did not credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people,” US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal said.
“This could have serious ramifications for stability in Bangladesh and (South Asia),” she feared during a hearing in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the current political and economic situation in Bangladesh in Washington D.C.
The Awami League came to power through the Jan 5 election boycotted by the BNP and its allies.
The BNP has termed the government ‘illegal’ and has sought a fresh election under a caretaker regime.
The US has been persistently claiming that the poll failed to express the will of the people, although the Bangladesh Election Commission had put the voter turnout at 40 percent. Such a turnout is conserved standard in Britain.
Muhith said, the government was legal, and that the US was making a mistake as did others.
A survey of the US-based International Republican Institute said that Bangladesh was walking down the wrong path since the election.
Muhith said, “They are doing this because of the BNP’s rogue intellect. We have been elected by people’s vote.” About a dialogue with the BNP, he said going by the BNP’s stand he saw no possibility of having talks with the party.
Awami League had formed its second successive government after it had won an absolute majority in the national election held on Jan 5 boycotted by the BNP and its allies.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had, before the election, hinted that a fresh election might be held by dissolving the 10th Parliament if a consensus was reached with the BNP.
She, however, laid the condition that they must severe ties with the Jamaat and shun violence before for talks to begin. On the day after the election, Jan 6, Hasina had urged the BNP to part ways with Jamaat-e-Islami and arrive at a consensus.
On Jan 7, BNP chief Khaleda Zia had said in an interview with BBC that it would decide on its policy independently, not under anybody’s instruction.
Government ministers have since been saying that the election will be held after five years, and that too as per the Constitution.
Around three weeks later, the BNP announced that it would not delink itself from the Jamaat.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has expressed his displeasure over US pressure on various issues, including Bangladesh’s internal politics.
The BNP’s ‘rogue intellect’ was making the US commit a mistake, he said, while talking to reporters at the inauguration of the private-sector 28MW Shahjahan Ullah Power Plant at Kumargaon in Sylhet on Friday.
The minister was reacting only days after a senior US official said at a Senate hearing warned that the ‘flawed’ elections of Jan 5 had put ‘strategically important’ Bangladesh at risk of instability.
“The election did not credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people,” US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal said.
“This could have serious ramifications for stability in Bangladesh and (South Asia),” she feared during a hearing in the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the current political and economic situation in Bangladesh in Washington D.C.
The Awami League came to power through the Jan 5 election boycotted by the BNP and its allies.
The BNP has termed the government ‘illegal’ and has sought a fresh election under a caretaker regime.
The US has been persistently claiming that the poll failed to express the will of the people, although the Bangladesh Election Commission had put the voter turnout at 40 percent. Such a turnout is conserved standard in Britain.
Muhith said, the government was legal, and that the US was making a mistake as did others.
A survey of the US-based International Republican Institute said that Bangladesh was walking down the wrong path since the election.
Muhith said, “They are doing this because of the BNP’s rogue intellect. We have been elected by people’s vote.” About a dialogue with the BNP, he said going by the BNP’s stand he saw no possibility of having talks with the party.
Awami League had formed its second successive government after it had won an absolute majority in the national election held on Jan 5 boycotted by the BNP and its allies.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had, before the election, hinted that a fresh election might be held by dissolving the 10th Parliament if a consensus was reached with the BNP.
She, however, laid the condition that they must severe ties with the Jamaat and shun violence before for talks to begin. On the day after the election, Jan 6, Hasina had urged the BNP to part ways with Jamaat-e-Islami and arrive at a consensus.
On Jan 7, BNP chief Khaleda Zia had said in an interview with BBC that it would decide on its policy independently, not under anybody’s instruction.
Government ministers have since been saying that the election will be held after five years, and that too as per the Constitution.
Around three weeks later, the BNP announced that it would not delink itself from the Jamaat.
