The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed ‘dissatisfaction’ to 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 joint statement condemning the recent attack on Dhaka-17 by-polls candidate Ashraful Hossen Alom allegedly in violation of diplomatic norms.
Reminding the envoys of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, state minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam asked them to refrain from behaving undiplomatically.
‘We called in the ambassadors of those foreign missions in Dhaka that issued a statement to the media in violation of the diplomatic norms in the wake of an unexpected incident centring on the Dhaka-17 by-polls independent candidate Ashraful Hossen Alom and expressed our dissatisfaction,’ state minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy.
He said that the diplomats did not give due importance to objectivity in their evaluation while giving a quick reaction over the matter, which the junior minister termed a ‘stray incident during the day-long peaceful polling’.
Shahriar said that he had read out a statement in the presence of the heads of those 13 foreign missions and their representatives at the State Guesthouse Padma as two to three of them were on leave.
He added that the diplomats were warned that behaving in a manner devoid of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality would only create a crisis of mutual trust.
Four to five envoys spoke on the occasion, saying that they did not have any other motive behind the statement, but to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding a free, fair and peaceful election.
‘As we have said many times, we support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful elections. To that end, we joined with other foreign missions to condemn the violence against Hero Alam and to call for a full investigation and bringing the perpetrators to account. We note that a number of arrests have been made in the case,’ US Embassy spokesperson Bryan Schiller said later on the day, adding that such violence had no place in the democratic process.
US ambassador Peter Haas, among other diplomats, was seen coming out of the State Guesthouse in the afternoon after the event.
The junior minister said that the diplomats called for fair investigations, but did not mention the legal actions taken immediately after the incident and at least two were arrested in this connection before the envoy’s statement issued on July 19.
‘Such a statement is unwarranted and unnecessary even after the legal action was taken in this regard,’ Shahriar said.
He said that copies of the government statement calling the foreign missions to refrain from such ‘undiplomatic behaviour’ would be sent to the capitals of the respective countries.
Twelve western countries, including the US, the UK, and Canada, and the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh on July 19 condemned the July-17 attack on Ashraful, popularly known as Hero Alom, in the capital city.
The signatories to the statement included the embassies of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
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 state minister clarified the Bangladesh government’s position over the foreign envoys’ joint statement on the attack on Hero Alom.
He said that the ambassadors were reminded of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, referring to Article 41(1) that says ‘Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State.
They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State and 41 (2) that says ‘All official business with the receiving State entrusted to the mission by the sending State shall be conducted with or through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State or such other ministry as may be agreed, mentioned Shahriar.
AL candidate Muhammad Ali Arafat, who won the by-election, was also called in to express his position to the foreign envoys. Arafat was present in a part of the discussion, the state minister added.
Hero Alom was Arafat’s nearest contestant.
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.
Hero Alom was beaten, allegedly by the ruling Awami League activists, in the presence of police at Banani Bidyaniketan School polling centre during the Dhaka-17 by-election on July 17.
