Someone 'paid by BNP' is deployed at US State Dept briefings: Hasan Mahmud

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today said there is someone "paid by BNP," deployed in the US Department of State regular briefing, to ask questions purposefully to generate negative responses.

"There's someone there who used to work for Khaleda Zia's press wing. He is paid by BNP. He asks questions purposefully to try and get negative answers about Bangladesh. He asks questions intentionally," the minister told reporters at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

The foreign minister was referring to Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, former assistant press secretary to the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Hasan made the remarks when his attention was drawn to him being misquoted at the latest US State Department briefing.

"Is the U.S. considering reinstating the GSP facilities for Bangladeshi product, as Bangladeshi foreign minister told the â€" on Saturday, Assistant Secretary Donald Lu assured Washington would consider reinstating the GSP facilities for Bangladesh?" Ansarey's question reads.

On the GSP issue, the foreign minister actually said the US wants to help Bangladesh get it back when the program is reintroduced.

"I talked to the press based on facts and what is true," Hasan said, adding that Bangladesh and the US are working on the labour front to further improve the overall conditions in line with the US desire, and they want to give it back if the US reintroduces the GSP facility.

"After the meeting with the visiting Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, Bangladesh's ruling prime minister advisor told the reporters that White House and the State Departments are very much willing to remove the sanctions as US imposed sanction on RAB, Rapid Action Battalion, for the extreme violation of human rights and extrajudicial killing. So he said that the State Department and White House working to remove the sanctions," Ansarey said in another media briefing.

DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo and General Secretary Mohiuddin also spoke at the event.