29 February 2004	Sunday	08 Muharram 1425

DHAKA, Feb 28: Dhaka on Saturday rejected Washington's annual human rights report that rated Bangladesh's rights record as "poor" as a US envoy held talks with Foreign Minister Morshed Khan.

American envoy Harry Thomas held talks with Morshed Khan, but refused to comment on what the two discussed. But the minister said: "For the last three or four years there is an absence of a role model for human rights. We have our own mechanism to ensure human rights."

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed also rejected the rights report. "It is a routine and stereotypical report published every year," he told reporters. "We do not accept this report."

In the US State Department's annual score-card Bangladesh's situation was stated to be "poor". "The (Bangladesh) government's human rights record remained poor, and it continued to commit serious abuses," it said.-AFP