Desk Report:
The National Citizens Party (NCP) Diaspora Alliance believes that the Bangladesh government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have completely failed to provide security to state visitors. They said this in a statement on Tuesday morning.
On the other hand, NCP Dhaka Metropolitan South and North have called for a protest march to protest the carelessness of the interim government in response to the attack on politicians including NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain in New York and to demand justice for the Awami League as a party. The statement given on the official Facebook said that the protest will be held in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh at 4 pm today. Along with this, instructions have been given to hold protest marches in districts and upazilas across the country.
The statement of the NCP Diaspora Alliance said, ‘We inform you with deep concern and anger that at the invitation of the government. Awami League supporters have carried out a heinous attack on Jatiya Nagorik Party leaders Akhtar Hossain and Tasnim Zara, who were participating in the US tour with Dr. Muhammad Yunus. This incident is not just an expression of political violence, but an example of the extreme failure of the diplomatic status and security system of the state. We ask, if the participants of the official visit do not get minimum security, then where is the rationale for the existence of Bangladeshi consulates and embassies located abroad? In whose interest are they working, and why are they not taking effective action against such criminals? The Bangladesh government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have completely failed to provide security to the people on official visits. We demand immediate and strong action from the Bangladesh government in this regard.’
The statement made three demands. These are—
1. The Bangladesh government should directly complain to the US federal government and the New York city government and law enforcement agencies
2. The entire Foreign Service team, including the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York, should be immediately dismissed.
3. Maximum security should be ensured for every visiting leader for the next part of the visit.
The statement said, “Akhtar Hossain and Tasnim Zara were accompanied by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other entourage members during the attack, and they also came under fire from Awami terrorists, but the main target of this attack was mainly NCP leaders. The anger of the vengeful attackers against those who fought with their lives during the July Revolution has not stopped even today. Akhtar Hossain was arrested and tortured by the Hasina government in July. He risked his life for the mass movement, and he is still paying the price for that struggle. This is an extreme failure of the interim government. We clearly state that such terrorist attacks by the Awami League on foreign soil are not only a threat to the security of expatriate Bangladeshis, but also to the dignity and democratic future of Bangladesh. We strongly condemn it and demand immediate effective action.”
