Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain commented that those who are not participating in the elections might attempt to obstruct them. He made this remark at a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday (January 28).
The Foreign Affairs Advisor stated, “The government wants the maximum number of foreign observers and journalists to come and monitor the elections. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not take any proactive initiative, but necessary cooperation will be provided if anyone wishes to come.”
He added, “Currently, there are no major disturbances in the country. There have been no significant incidents of violence beyond minor skirmishes or fights. India has also not officially expressed any security concerns to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Regarding the departure of family members of Indian officials, he said, “This could be their personal decision; there is no cause for alarm.”
Md. Touhid Hossain reiterated, “Those who are not participating in the elections are the ones who might try to obstruct the elections and are speaking of violence. The government believes that if violence occurs during the elections, it could originate from the parties not contesting the polls.”
He further stated, “Although there are allegations that some Rohingyas have used Bangladeshi passports to go to Saudi Arabia, issues like passports will not hinder the Rohingya repatriation process. Rohingyas are residents of Myanmar’s Arakan region, and the repatriation issue is being considered on a broader scale.”
Regarding a meeting with the US Ambassador in Dhaka, he informed that the meeting was not possible recently due to scheduling conflicts. In response to the US Ambassador’s comments concerning China, Touhid Hossain said, “Bangladesh will make decisions according to its own interests.”