Khaleda talks on HR issue with US congressmen
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia meets US Congressman Joseph Crowley, second from left, at the Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: BNP
US Congressmen expressed deep concern over the human rights situation in Bangladesh as well as that of the judiciary when they met visiting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at the Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. Khaleda Zia had a joint meeting with four US Congressmen--Joseph Crowley, Sheila Jackson, Hansen Clarke and Brad Sherman. Different issues including democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh were discussed in the meeting that lasted for one and half hours. BNP Vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury, who was present in the meeting, told UNB over phone that the Congressmen said if democracy and rule of law are threatened in Bangladesh, the US Congress will take a serious note of this as it might make uncertain Bangladesh's access to the US Millennium Challenge Account. The US Congressmen told Khaleda that they are monitoring the evolving situation in Bangladesh and would brief the US administration. They recalled good relation of the Congress and the US administration with the past government of Khaleda Zia and hoped the relation would be strengthened. Khaleda, also leader of the opposition in parliament, invited the Congressmen to visit Bangladesh. A representative of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was present during the meeting. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry have expressed regret as they could not meet Khaleda.
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