NEW YORK: Visiting Bangladesh commerce minister Tofail Ahmed in the USA told banglanews that there is no question of mid-term polls in the country. Elections in Bangladesh will be held after five years.
He also said that there is no pressure from any foreign countries to hold mid-term elections in Bangladesh.
The minister added that he met several Congressmen and US president Barack Obama’s commerce advisor. They did not talk about mid-term elections in Bangladesh.
In an interview with banglanews24.com, he commented that no one in the USA asked him about Bangladesh’s political situation.
Regarding his meeting with Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State, Tofail said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tried to hold the national election with the participation of all parties.
But BNP did not participate in the elections. BNP was conspiring to create a Thailand-like situation in Bangladesh, he added.
According to him, this government has been elected for five years.
About Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facilities, the minister said GSP facilities do no longer exist in the USA. If Congress renew GSP program then there will be no trouble to get it back for Bangladesh.
BDST: 1353 HRS, JUNE 18, 2014
