Haas queries home minister on security plan for BNP's rally

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said that US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, who met him at the Secretariat Sunday, wanted to know whether the government would blockade all entry points of Dhaka ahead of the BNP's mega rally in the capital on October 28.

“The ambassador at the meeting wanted to know that the BNP may bring a number of people to Dhaka on the day of their mega rally. Whether we will close all the entry gates of Dhaka or take any other steps,” he said.

The minister said this while talking to reporters after the meeting with Peter Haas at the secretariat.

The home minister answered that the government doesn't have any programs like this.

“We said that we don’t have such plans. We believe the political agenda they have given will be observed peacefully. If they carry out their programs peacefully we don’t have any say on this,” he said.

“I said to the ambassador that why will we close the entry? Everyone needs to come to Dhaka, a patient needs to come to Dhaka, if someone wants to go abroad, he needs to come to Dhaka - everything is Dhaka-centric,” he added.

The home minister said, “All we're going to say is that they don't indulge any violence. They will keep the movement areas free. That's our request, we've already told them that.”

Asked about whether diplomatic etiquette is maintained here when an ambassador asked the home minister about the programs of a political party, the minister said, “That's the question I want to ask you. My point is that he came, he is the ambassador of a country, he asked questions, we've answered.”

“It's not up to me to see if he can do it or not. For that, we have our foreign minister, we have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he added.

The US ambassador had come to discuss not only the October 28 program of BNP but also Rohingya and other issues, the home minister said.

While leaving the secretariat, the US ambassador told reporters, "I had a meeting with the home minister. We hope that Durga Puja will be celebrated peacefully. We also hope that the political program scheduled for October 28 after Durga Puja will be peaceful and violence-free."

Meanwhile, Spokesperson of United States Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday night said, "In the U.S. Embassy meeting with the Home Minister, the subject of road closures in Dhaka on October 28 was not discussed."

Ambassador Peter Haas expressed the "importance of peaceful demonstrations and interference-free participation in the political process."