Chhabed Sathee: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) of the United States leaders and workers has not received Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s so-called Proposal for discussion with the BNP. The US BNP leaders did not receive any message of such discussion. Last Tuesday (May 2), a civil reception was organized for the Prime Minister on behalf of the Bangladeshi diaspora at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Virginia. BNP leaders and workers were demonstrating outside at that time. In her speech, the Prime Minister mentioned that the protesting BNP leaders had called for a discussion, but in fact, none of the BNP leaders and workers received any such proposal. There is an angry reaction among the leaders and activists of the BNP in the United States.
BNP-Jamaat supporters left the scene on the Prime Minister’s call for discussion, the news published in various newspapers of the country last Wednesday (May 3) has been referred to by the leaders and workers of BNP as a big lie. They said that during the protest in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Virginia, no government official or party brought any such proposal to them. However, lies are being spread in the news provided by government agencies.
When asked about this from Washington DC BNP president Hafiz Khan Sohael, who organized the two-day protest program in front of the World Bank and Ritz Carlton Hotel, he told this representative that on Tuesday (May 2) at around 2 pm, three members of the Virginia BNP along with the member secretary of Virginia BNP put up a banner in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. A number of BNP workers, including Chhatra League names Ovi Khan and Zahid Hasan, attacked BNP workers and tried to snatch the banner. Virginia BNP Member Secretary Mohammad Tofael was seriously injured when they started beating them uphill. He was immediately admitted to the hospital. While fleeing from the spot, the police arrested Ovi Khan, an alleged from New York, and Zahid Hasan and others escaped. After the incident in the afternoon, the police did not allow the media personnel to go near the two groups, especially the protestors. BNP workers protested there till 6:30/7 pm. Till that time no government official or party had brought any proposal to them for talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hafiz Khan Sohael also said that those programs were celebrated in front of the World Bank and in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington DC on the initiative of BNP. The leaders and workers of the Virginia and Maryland BNP supported them. Sohael mentioned that they knew before any proposal of the Prime Minister. BNP-Jamaat supporters left the venue on the Prime Minister’s call for discussion and strongly condemned and protested such falsehoods and false news.
United States BNP leader and Central Executive Committee member Zillur Rahman Zillu said that we have not received any proposal or invitation to discuss with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. No need to discuss with us. Where discussion will solve the problem, the country and the nation will benefit, discuss if there is a real will to discuss. Now people understand the politics of gathering praise. He strongly protested and condemned the news published on the subject of discussion.
United States BNP leader and another member of the central executive committee Gias Ahmed said that this Awami government has destroyed Bangladesh’s democracy, right to vote, freedom of speech and human rights and has destroyed the slogan of Bangladesh’s dignity and independence in the outside world. That is why expatriate Bangladeshis have demonstrated on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s arrival in the United States on the demand of the caretaker government. The prime minister entered the event through the back door during the two-day protest. United States, BNP and expatriate Bangladeshis are one point of demand of the freedom-loving people of Bangladesh. Resistance will continue wherever Hasina is present until the demand of ‘caretaker government’ is met. The news spread by BSS is completely fake and false. I strongly protest and condemn the news.
Professor Delwar Hossain, senior vice-president of BNP in the United States said that there is no question of discussion between BNP leaders and workers with Sheikh Hasina. Shall we discuss with the prime minister who came to power through illegal and undemocratic means? He strongly protested and condemned the news published on the subject of discussion.
Former student leader and United States BNP general secretary candidate Parvez Sajjad said that he was present at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Virginia during the protest. I don’t see any representative of Sheikh Hasina bringing a message there. By whom and how he sent the news to the BNP leaders for talks is not clear to anyone. Even if we got a proposal to discuss with the illegal Prime Minister, we would not make any arrangements to sit without the permission of the Central Committee. Instead of negotiating with diaspora leaders, negotiate directly with central leaders. Then dissolve the current parliament and allow the opposition to participate in elections under a non-partisan caretaker government. He also strongly protested and condemned the published news.
Akhtar Hossain Badal, the former founder organizing secretary of the United States BNP and a mainstream politician, said that the best dictator of the present time, Sheikh Hasina, invited the leaders and workers of the BNP for a coffee discussion. No one can believe it, not just me. When, where and how the negotiation proposal was sent and to whom is not clear from the published news. This means that a daha is a lie. His past record of keeping promises is poor. He doesn’t keep promises. Our demand is very clear, we want to see Sheikh Hasina step down from power immediately. Return power to the caretaker government and hold free and fair elections. The people who believe in the nationalism of Bangladesh no longer want to see the power of Sheikh Hasina. Withdraw all false cases against Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. Release Khaleda Zia immediately and we want Tarique Rahman back to Bangladesh. Stop killing opposition party people, we want free and fair trial. Free all journalists and allow them to work freely.
President of Interstate BNP and former Joint Secretary of United States BNP Kazi Shakhawat Hossain Azam said, I have seen many lies but I have never seen such lies. BNP leaders do not understand to whom and how the Prime Minister proposed to sit in the discussion. We want him, as he is going to London on his next visit, to go there and discuss with our Chairman. Only then will I understand his generosity. There will be no benefit in misleading the people of the country by lying like this. Because the people have understood his tricks. There is no use in doing this. Now it’s time to go. Cut with dignity, that will be good for you.
Abdus Sabur, joint convener of the Independence Day Celebration Committee and former student leader of Dhaka University said, “This is a blatant lie.” Never heard of such generosity. What else can we expect from dictator Sheikh Hasina?
Former student leader and Central International Affairs Secretary (joint-editor status) of Sechchasevak Dal and joint convenor of Independence Suborn Jayanti Celebration Committee Maksudul Haque Chowdhury said, “We have not received any invitation, everything is possible for those who cheat the nation with tajbi in hand and hijab on head.” It is impossible to expect anything better than lies from those who vote during the day and at night, and besides, what logic will we talk to an illegal prime minister? Our only demand is election under a non-partisan neutral government with resignation. Let the voting rights of the people be returned.
Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal Central Executive Committee International Secretary and United States Jubo Dal General Secretary Abu Sayed Ahmed said, that neither we nor any leader of BNP have received any such invitation from the Prime Minister. This is a big lie. We want to invite you to tea and ask us to listen again. Our demands at home and abroad are clear. It is not worth repeating. At this moment, resign and cede power to a neutral government, hold neutral elections, release the former three-time prime minister unconditionally and withdraw all the false cases, withdraw all the political lies and fabricated cases of all the BNP leaders and workers arrested in Bangladesh, send the future leader of the country, Tarique Rahman, to his own country. To level the playing field by removing all barriers to entry to his country. Awami League always does politics of lies. We know that the illegitimate prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has seized power, always tells lies very beautifully. He plays beautifully with a sad expression on his face and tells lies while speaking emotionally. Tried to establish the truth. He casually told such a lie at his reception for cheap popularity. A prime minister should come and apologize to the nation for telling such lies in a democratic country.
Elias Khan, secretary of international affairs of the Central Committee of Jubo Dal, said that it is not surprising to hear such words from the mouth of the fascist and dictatorial regime in Bangladesh. Because they are used to it. So stop this kind of lying and make arrangements so that the next elections are held under the caretaker government and give peace to the common people of the country. He also strongly protested and condemned the published news.
Georgia BNP President Nahidul Khan Sahel said, that an organization called Concerned Citizens of Bangladesh demanded an end to the massacre, extrajudicial killings and fair and impartial elections under the caretaker government in front of the World Bank and Ritz Carlton Washington Hotel on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s arrival on May 1 and 2, 2023. Organized protest rallies. On May 1, more than five hundred leaders and workers from different states of the United States joined the rally in front of the World Bank and they started chanting slogans against Sheikh Hasina and her dictatorial government. On the second day in front of the Washington DC and Ridge Carlton when the organization called ‘Concerned Citizens of Bangladesh’ was organizing a protest rally, at 2 pm, a group of 10/15 people from the front of the Ridge Carlton hotel attacked some people who were waving banners on the other side of the road and attacked Tofael Ahmed, member secretary of Virginia BNP. seriously injured. Later, Tofael Ahmed’s broken bones were repaired by an operation at a local hospital.
Pennsylvania State BNP President Shah Forid said, United States is a democratic country, Bangladesh is currently under fascist rule. The United States has never supported a fascist regime. In its continuation, the fascist regime does not invite Hasina to any event anywhere in the United States. Hasina was not invited to the democracy conference. Hasina could not meet anyone from the Biden administration despite many attempts during her stay in the United States. It means that Hasina has not received any invitation from the US administration. The way Hasina is making an antidote against the US, the fascist ruler Hasina’s intention is to harm our Bangladesh. This intention of Hasina cannot be allowed to succeed.
Aliullah Atiqur Rahman, convener of New York State BNP, said that there is no benefit in such lies. Now it’s time to pack your bags. Think about where you will escape by deceiving the public with these lies. He also strongly protested and condemned the published news.
New York State BNP convening committee member and former general secretary of United States Bangladesh Nationalist Forum Motahar Hossain said that BNP does not expect or accept any invitation letter from the illegal prime minister in the night vote. So Sheikh Hasina is trying to attract people’s attention by telling lies. Now there is no chance.
It should be noted that on May 3, the news published in various newspapers of the country said that a group of BNP-Jamaat supporters were protesting against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina outside the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the United States. When the head of government called them to discuss, they left the scene. On Tuesday (May 2), the Prime Minister was given a civil reception by Bangladeshi expatriates in the hall of the hotel.
The news also said that later the Prime Minister’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam said in a press briefing, “BNP-Jamaat supporters left their position outside the hotel only after the Prime Minister expressed interest in talking to them about their problems.”
Sheikh Hasina arrived in Washington DC on April 28 to attend a World Bank event marking 50 years of Bangladesh-World Bank (WB) partnership. “When the Prime Minister came to attend the civic reception, she saw a group of BNP-Jamaat protesting outside the hotel in extreme cold and rain and expressed her desire to speak to their representatives,” the speechwriter said, quoting the Prime Minister as saying, “Sheikh Hasina said , whatever they want to say, come here and let them say it.’
After getting the necessary permission to take the protestors to the hotel, the Prime Minister’s PS-2 and another official from the Bangladesh Mission there went to invite them to the hotel.
BP/SM
