Foreign powers trying to create issue over human rights violations to put presure on us : B’desh minister

Kolkata, July 27 (PTI) Refuting allegations of human rights violations in his country, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud Thursday said certain foreign powers are trying to create an issue over it to put undue pressure on the country.

Mahmud said the general election in Bangladesh due in January next year will be held as per the norms laid down in its Constitution.

“The allegations of human rights violations in our country are not right. The condition of human rights in Bangladesh is much better than in the countries of those foreign powers who are raising questions about ours,” Mahmud told reporters at Kolkata Press Club here.

The foreign powers who are questioning the track record of human rights in Bangladesh are doing so “to keep the country under pressure” .

“There has been racist attacks in the United States too. If there is any issue in India, do these foreign powers dare to question it? The answer is no as it is an internal matter of a soverign nation,” he said.

“But these foreign powers single out Bangladesh to keep us under pressure and to control us to some extent as Bangladesh is geo-politically very important, ” Mahmud said.

To questions on Dhaka’s closeness with China, Mahmud said Beijing’s investment in Bangladesh has come down in recent years.

“If you go by data, the amount of investment by China in Bangladesh has come down over the years. But yes they do get some contracts as their bidding rates are very low, ” he adde