The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the heads of 13 foreign missions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, for their statement condemning the recent attack on Dhaka-17 by-polls candidate Ashraful Hossen Alom.
A senior foreign ministry official on Tuesday said that the foreign diplomats were summoned to the ministry today to clarify Bangladesh’s position as well as to express ‘dissatisfaction’ over the joint statement they issued on July 19 on the attack on Ashraful, popularly known as Hero Alom.
Earlier on July 20, the foreign ministry summoned the UN resident coordinator in Dhaka Gwyn Lewis for her tweet on the attack on Hero Alom in Dhaka.
As Gwyn was staying outside on leave, UNICEF representative Sheldon Yett called on inspector general of missions Asad Alam Siam, who conveyed Bangladesh’s position regarding her tweet and expressed dissatisfaction since it was a political issue, officials confirmed.
Twelve Western countries, including the US, the UK, and Canada, and the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh condemned the attack on Hero Alam on July 19.
In a joint statement signed by the embassies/the high commissions of the countries and the EU delegation in Dhaka, they also called for a full investigation into the incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice, saying that violence had no place in the democratic process.
It mentioned that everyone involved in the upcoming election should ensure that it was free, fair, and peaceful.
The signatories to the statement included the embassies of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Hero Alom was beaten, allegedly by the ruling Awami League activists, in the presence of the police at the Banani Bidyaniketan School polling centre during the Dhaka-17 by-election on July 17.
AL candidate Muhammad Ali Arafat won the by-election, and Hero Alom was his nearest contestant.
