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Eye News Desk

Published: 12:37, 28 August 2023

Bangladeshi expatriates refute 6 US congressmen`s letter to Biden

A total of 267 Bangladeshi expatriates living in the US have sent a letter to the six US congressmen, who wrote to US President Joe Biden, challenging the accuracy of the information in the letter.

The six members of Congress are Scott Perry, Barry Moore, Warren Davidson, Bob Good, Tim Burchett, and Keith Self. The letter was issued on Saturday by the Congress of Bangladeshi Americans Inc, an organization of Bangalis living in America. 

The signatories of the letter encompassed a diverse group of Bangladeshi Americans. This group included university professors, businessmen, individuals holding prominent positions within the US government, as well as young students pursuing their education across different universities.

The letter mentions that the statement sent to the Biden administration contains false and vague information about Bangladesh. 

It informed that Bangladesh has been presented in a very narrow manner without considering the current socio-economic progress, gender equality, advancements in women's rights, and religious tolerance.

The members of the organization reminded in the letter that the terrorist organization Jamaat-e-Islam, accused of crimes against humanity, and the opposition groups of Bangladesh have been using lobbyist firms in exchange for money to carry out propaganda.

Referring to the role and achievements of Bangladesh's armed forces in UN Peacekeeping missions in different countries, the letter said: "Will the UN deny such huge contribution and sacrifice due to one or two isolated incidents in Bangladesh?”

Regarding the Rohingya issue, the letter states that since 2017, Bangladesh has given shelter to about 1.4 million Rohingya refugees. “No other country in the world has sheltered such a large number of refugees together.

The letter also highlighted Bangladesh's participation in protecting humanity and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s contribution. 

It added that Sheikh Hasina was recognized as the “Mother of Humanity” by the United Nations for sheltering such a large number of helpless refugees without considering the interests of her own country.

Four focused aspects

Four key aspects of democracy and human development in Bangladesh were also outlined in the letter.

  • It is the Sheikh Hasina-led government that is making effective and best efforts to curb corruption in Bangladesh, which had been a world champion in corruption for five consecutive times.
  • Bangladesh, divided on the basis of misrule and religion of the military rulers, including BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, returned to the true democratic trend in 1996 under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. 
  • The politics of repression and killing of dissent by the state law and order forces began during the BNP-Jamaat-backed and military regimes. From there Bangladesh is returning to the rule of law by showing zero tolerance towards terrorism-radicalism and militancy.
  • Bangladesh's socio-economic development, as well as the regional security of the US in the Indo-Pacific region, depends on Bangladesh's stability. If the BNP-Jamaat-backed government is formed again in the country, then fundamentalism will spread in the region as before.

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