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PM holds image crisis talks with ex-foreign secys

Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia held a
brainstorming session with seven former foreign secretaries yesterday for reviving Bangladesh's image
abroad and taking stops on the world stage in the wake of Awami League (AL) rally bombing on
August21.
"The prime minister asked them to harness all their experience In this field to overcome the damage to Bangladesh's image abroad," Foreign Minister M Morshcd Khan toldreportersathlsofflceyesterday
"The attack was made by people who have a problem with Bangladesh's successful economic progress, recognition by world leaders of Bangladesh as a moderate and tolerant Muslim-majority nation and people who will benefit from Bangladesh's downfall."
It Is essential that Bangladesh regain Its image at a time when
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world leaders project it as a model for moderate and tolerant nation.
The seven of 11 living former secretaries who attended the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office expressed their satisfaction over the government's decision to seek Interpol help in the investigation into the grenade attack on the AL rally in Dhaka, saying it was the best international probe available.
After the rally bombing, world leaders, including George Bush and the European Union presidency, expressed grave concern over the wave of recent bomb blasts and the rise in persecution of minorities, especially of the Ahmadiyyas.
"No one had believed that Bangladesh was becoming Talibanised when it was propagated in the past," Morshed said, reiterating that the government was committed to looking into any international or domestic splinter groups of religion-based political parties or leftist extremists.
After reviewing the state of Ahmadiyyas in Bangladesh, US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca during her April visit said: "Bangladesh is going off-track from its tolerant tradition."
In January, US Congressman and Member of the Congressional Committee on International Affairs Joseph Crowley said, "Religious intolerance is taking a grip on the country."
Referring to AL dissatisfaction over the probe even after Interpol involvement, Morshed said the Interpol was the
largest international investigative organisation and the only international crimefighting body under the United Nations.
"This is the best way to go if an international probe is wanted," said Morshed, adding, "We can't do anything else as this is the right way."
"By demanding the resignation of the government the Awami League is degrading the importance and significance of the blasts," he said, adding the government was committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
"We don't see the blasts on August 21 as an attempt to assassinate the leader of a particular party, but an assault on the nation and its democracy."
"We did not receive any conclusive results from the bomb blasts that took place during their (AL) reign and we did not demand their resignation but wanted the perpetrators to be brought to book," he said.
Of the 11 former secretaries, Faruk Chowdhury, CM Shafi Sami, Farook Sobhan and Ataul Karim did not attend the meeting.
Farook is in India, Faruk and Shafi are in the US and Ataul is sick, the foreign minister said.