Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed his anger at not being invited to the global summit of democracy organized by US President Joe Biden. The foreign minister said, ‘Whom are you coming to teach democracy? The people of this country gave their lives for democracy. 3 million people gave their blood for democracy, human rights, and justice. Whom do you want to teach democracy?’ The foreign minister made this comment in response to reporters’ questions about not being invited to the democracy conference on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the afternoon, he discussed with US State Department Counselor Derek Scholl, who came to visit Bangladesh at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When asked about not being invited to the conference, Abdul Momen said, “It is not a matter for our discussion.” They didn’t say anything about it. In America, according to their rules, they will invite whomever they want, they will not invite whomever they want. They invite many countries, which do not have the name and smell of democracy. Criticizing the list of countries invited to the conference, the foreign minister said, ‘They (the United States) will give whomever they want. In countries like Egypt, there is democracy. They are also invited! You should remember that the democracy of Bangladesh is better than the democracy of any other country in the world.” Young Americans don’t vote. 80 percent of people vote from that side of us. The foreign minister said, “Bangladesh’s democracy is better than any other country’s democracy.” Referring to the meeting with Derek Sholl, he said that “the evidence of BNP’s arson attacks” surrounding the elections was presented to Derek H Sholl, the counselor of the Foreign Office. Abdul Momen said, ‘We have given information and evidence. We have told stories of arson. I showed you how the woman was burnt, inside the bus, where she was killed and destroyed. That is why we do not want any terrorism. We don’t want any arson. We want a smooth, fair, we have transparent election process.’ The foreign minister said about the discussion with Sholl about the election, ‘There was not much discussion about the election. Because they know that there is some immaturity in the elections of all countries. But I wanted to say about the election. Because, we have done so much work, made transparent ballot boxes, and wanted to talk about voter lists not being fake, but there was no time.
