Staff Reporter :The United Nations (UN) has expressed its concern over the political violence and the loss of lives that is occurring in Bangladesh.Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, made the statement in response to a query on Bangladesh’s current political situation at the regular press briefing in New York on Wednesday.The question on Bangladesh at the regular briefing was raised by BNP foreign affairs committee member Mushfiqul Fazal, who introduced himself as a journalist.The BNP leader asked that whether the UN should do more other than expressing concerns to hold a free, fair and credible election in Bangladesh to restore democracy.”Bangladesh, as you know, is a critical partner of the United Nations in many areas. And obviously, I think, as we’ve said here a number of times, we are very much concerned about the violence and the loss of lives that occurred in Bangladesh since the beginning of last year,” said Stéphane Dujarric.Referring to UN moves to mediate problems in Bangladesh, the spokesman said that the former assistant secretary general in charge of political affairs, Oscar Fernández-Taranco, has been asked by the secretary general to form a liaison with the Bangladesh government and he is doing just that.Raising the issue of Fernández-Taranco’s meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal on Wednesday afternoon (US local time), another journalist asked whether this was about Bangladesh.”I think it’s not fair to assume anything. I’ll now see if I can actually get you some facts, as opposed to assumptions,” said the spokesperson. The secretary general is personally committed to the stability and positive development of Bangladesh, he said in response to another question at the press briefing.Earlier last week, the United Nations said that it would continue to be in touch with the leaders of the ruling Awami League and the BNP in order to resolve the ongoing political crisis there.Incidents of arson and bomb attacks on vehicles have been reported every day since Jan 5, when the BNP-led 20-party alliance called for an indefinite transport blockade across Bangladesh. So far, more than 60 people have died and scores other injured in different parts of the country in violence and petrol bomb attacks.Several senior BNP leaders, including acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, are now in jail while the law enforcers are cracking down across the country to nab the troublemakers.In an interview with the Times of India on Tuesday, BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moin Khan said that they would welcome any UN initiative to resolve the country’s current political crisis.
