Society lets foreign envoys meddle in internal affairs: Touhid

Foreign Affairs Adviser to the interim government, Md Touhid Hossain, on Sunday said a large section of Bangladeshi society also bears responsibility for foreign diplomats commenting on the country’s internal affairs.

He also said that diplomats alone should not always be blamed.

The adviser made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a training programme jointly organised by the Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) and the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at a city hotel on February 1.

During the programme, a journalist asked why foreign diplomats in Bangladesh frequently comment on Bangladesh’s internal issues, including elections, while foreign diplomats stationed in India rarely do so. The question also raised whether such remarks should be considered interference.

In response, Touhid Hossain said every country develops its own diplomatic traditions, sometimes deliberately and sometimes unintentionally.

“In India, there is a certain tradition. A similar tradition has also evolved in our country,” he said.

He added that in Bangladesh, comments by the diplomatic community on internal matters have gradually become part of the culture.

“Many times, I feel that a large section of society actually wants them to speak on these issues. That is why it would not be fair to place all the blame on foreign diplomats,” he said.

UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller, also spoke at the event. DCAB President AKM Moinuddin chaired the programme, while the organisation’s General Secretary Abu Hena Imrul Kayes delivered remarks.