US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena last night said the US wants a dialogue between Bangladesh's two major political parties to resolve the country's crisis centring the next parliamentary polls.
“I know efforts have been made in that regard and I'll do everything I can to support those efforts,” he told journalists after a meeting with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office in the capital.
“And it's critical to keep trying to get that dialogue underway so that the parties can find a mutually-agreed way forward. Only the Bangladeshis themselves can do this…to hold free, fair and credible elections…
“and then America and Bangladesh and many friends all over the world will support Bangladesh in implementing that agreement,” he added.
Mozena said Khaleda shared with him details of her vision for Bangladesh should she form the government.
He said the leader of the opposition in parliament shared with him her determination that Bangladesh would continue to counter violent extremism and fight terrorism and cooperate with its neighbours in this regard.
When Mozena raised the question of minorities, Khaleda said all Bangladeshis were Bangladeshis.
On hartals, Mozena said, “I shared with her, and she already knows that I don't like hartals because hartals penalise ordinary people. What I like is a political process taking place in parliament. That is what democracy is and I applauded her decision to have BNP in parliament.”
On whether Khaleda agreed with his views over hartal, Mozena said, “Everyone has the right to express his or her views peacefully, but not violently and not forcing other people to agree. Those are my views.”