The issue of road closures on 28 October was not discussed during the meeting with the US embassy yesterday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said.
"They [US Embassy] did not ask whether the government would close the roads in Dhaka during the BNP rally on 28 October. They did, however, ask what we are doing or not doing on the day," the minister told the media/ Voice of America on Monday (23 October).
He further said, while responding to journalists during a briefing yesterday, he had stated the government would not allow the roads to be closed.
US embassy denies discussing 28 Oct road closures with home minister
"In response to the journalists' questions, we said the roads should not be closed. There was only a discussion [with the US embassy] about what we would do on the 28th."
Regarding the US embassy's statement about no discussions with the home minister on road closures, Kamal said, "I have seen their statement. If there is anything to say about it, we will. We will see if the journalists who spoke to us wrote beyond what we actually said."
Asked what exactly he and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas talked about, Kamal said, "The 28th was discussed. The Rohingya issue was discussed. The elections were also discussed. Puja was also discussed. These issues were mainly discussed."
Earlier on Sunday (22 October), several media reported that during the home minister's meeting with the US embassy at the Secretariat, Peter Haas had asked whether the government would close the roads in Dhaka during the BNP rally on 28 October.
Later, the US embassy said in a statement that there were no discussions with Kamal on road closures on 28 October centring the BNP rally set for the same day.
"In the US embassy meeting with the home minister today [22 October], the subject of road closures in Dhaka on 28 October was not discussed," the statement said.
"Ambassador Haas expressed the importance of peaceful demonstrations and interference-free participation in the political process," the statement added.
