German envoy for release of BNP leaders

German Ambassador in Dhaka Albrecht Conze yesterday hoped that both the major political alliances would "act responsibly" ahead of the Bangladesh visit of a senior c.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco will arrive in Dhaka on December 6 on a four-day visit to discuss with the major stakeholders the current political turbulence ahead of the upcoming general elections.
"The forthcoming visit of Taranco, I think, is a very encouraging event. It comes at the last moment but may be it comes at the right moment. So, we all hope that both the parties will act responsibly before his arrival," he said.
The German envoy, in his four-minute statement before the press following a meeting with Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, also said that he had urged the minister "to do everything" for the release of senior BNP leaders who are currently behind bars.
"Some of them are my friends and I know very well that they would not be able to do anything of that sort they are being accused of,” Conze said.
He assured the minister of his country's continued support to end the political deadlock in Bangladesh.
He said the EU and most other "trusted friends" of Bangladesh like Canada, Australia, China and many Asian countries were staying completely impartial and keeping "strict equidistance from both parties".
Conze informed the minister that all European ambassadors were working intensely with both sides over the past few weeks to find "space for substantial compromise".
"… that means for us that we're very clear on condemning any political violence that leads to young boys burning in rickshaws, other people not arriving on time in hospitals and not being treated and having to die because of hartals or similar political actions … that is an unacceptable way of carrying out election campaign," he said.
He said if both sides took immediate steps to calm the volatile political situation, they might be able to reach, perhaps at the eleventh hour, a compromise that would ensure an inclusive election.