Miller explains US position on Preo Bala statement
The United States ambassador, Earl Miller, on Tuesday explained the position of the US government over the controversial statement of Preo Bala Biswas claiming that some 37 million Hindus, Buddhists and Christians remained missing in Bangladesh.
The US government did not determine what a foreign guest would say during a visit to the country, Miller said in a meeting with foreign secretary M Shahidul Haque at the foreign ministry on Tuesday afternoon, according to diplomatic sources.
Thirtyseven million Hindus, Buddhist and Christian ‘disappeared’ in Bangladesh over the years, Preo Bala, executive director of the NGO Self-Help Association for Rural People through Education and Entrepreneurship, or SHAREE, said in a meeting with US president Donald Trump as a member of a group from different countries on July 17 during a global forum on religious freedom organised by the US government.
Preo Bala participated in the forum on dual capacities – a member of the Bangladesh delegation as well as on invitation from the Department of State of the US government, diplomatic sources said.
When approached by the New Age after the meeting, ambassador Miller declined to comment about what he discussed with the foreign secretary. ‘No,’ he said in a single word reply.
Preo Bala, also known as Priya Saha, claimed later in a video statement that she got the data on disappearance of the members of the minority communities from a study conducted by the Bangladesh Economic Association president professor Abul Barkat.
Barkat, however, said in a signed statement issued on Monday that Priya Saha presented his research findings in a distorted way.
‘Some one crore 13 lakh Hindus remained missing in 50 years since 1964 to 2013, according to my assessment,’ Barkat said adding that he had never mentioned in his book published in 2016 that three crore 70 lakh Hindus, Buddhist and Christian have gone missing.
He demanded that Priya Saha should quickly withdraw the ‘confusing and dishonest statements’ made in reference to his name.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
