Foreign minister Abdul Momen said Dhaka did not ‘accept’ numbers of issues about Bangladesh, mentioned in a UK’s human right report released by its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as those were not ‘factual’.
“If the report was fact based, it would have helpful for us. But, when it is fake, then it could be seemed purposeful … this is not good,” he said on Monday while approached by reporters to make comments on the report which tended to mean that BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is now under “house arrest”, misinterpreting her current status.
The foreign minister’s comments came the day after the foreign ministry summoned the British Acting High Commissioner (AHC) here Javed Patel to convey Dhaka’s disappointment over the report on Bangladesh chapter of “Human Rights and Democracy Report 2020” released on last Thursday.
The foreign ministry clarified to the envoy that the government suspended her prison term and “released” her in March 2020 on condition that she would receive medical treatment at home and would not travel abroad.
Dr Momen said Khaleda Zia is not ‘house arrest”, the fact is she was initially freed for six months and the timeline of her release was subsequently extended twice.
Through the British envoy, the foreign minister said, Dhaka urged the UK government to consult with the authorities concerned of Bangladesh government in case of any confusion over such legal issues.
