DHAKA, Jan 18, 2024 (BSS) – Criticizing the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report on the January 7 election, foreign minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the wise quarters observed that it was made in an effort to “give weapon” to anti-election and anti-democratic forces including BNP.        

“There is resemblance in terms of language between BNP and TIB .. so that many raised questions whether TIB  made the report with the support of a certain quarter,” he told reporters at foreign ministry here.    

The foreign minister said it seemed that TIB came up with its report with refined remarks what have been made by BNP’s senior joint secretary general Rizvi Ahmed at his daily press briefing.

He hoped that TIB will not   turn into a spokesperson of a certain group and anti-election and anti-democratic forces.

“It is our expectation that TIB will not work as a supportive force for the anti-election and anti-democratic forces,” he said adding that it is the government’s expectation that TIB will uphold its reputation without deviating from its neutral position.

The foreign minister said though TIB always claimed that its reports are based on research work but in most of the cases they held the press briefing based on some shallow matters, reports of some newspapers and promptly collected some data.

“Yesterday one was also seemed the same to me,” he said.

Hasan  said the election was held in a festive atmosphere while international observers from the US, European Union, Commonwealth, OIC and others described it as “free and fair” and congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the next day of the polls.

The foreign minister said that the Election Commission demonstrated a strong role with strict imposition of laws including cancellation of AL candidates and other measures. “There was no appreciation of EC efforts in the TIB report,” he added.

However, Mahmud said, civil society based organization like TIB is required and the government carries forward the culture of welcoming such institutions which do constructive criticism of the establishment.
 
 
“But when the report becomes biased or intentional, it does not benefit the state, society and government … It becomes the spokesperson of a particular group,” he said.
 
India Visit
Responding to a question, Mahmud said that he would visit New Delhi on February 7 as his first official bilateral tour.

“I am going for India tour  on February 7 at the invitation of honourable Indian external affairs minister,” he said.
 
The foreign minister said that he might be staying  in New Delhi for three days.

“The tour agendas or itinerary is yet to ready … but we have discussed that I will go on February 7,” he added.
        
Responding to a query whether he will call on Indian Prime Minister in Delhi, Mahmud said, “Nothing has been finalized yet … it is too early to say anything.”

The foreign minister was scheduled to leave Dhaka for Uganda to attend a multilateral event, the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit at the early hours of today but his flight was canceled due to dense fog.

His departure to Uganda was rescheduled on Thursday night.