REFERENCE to the editorial ‘Bangladesh sentences’ (July 6).

It is unthinkable how you could conclude that the sentencing of criminals by a court of law is an instance of vengeance of the government, just because the target of the crime is the Prime Minister (then opposition leader) and the perpetrators of the crime belonged to the opposition party (then ruling party).

The editorial went on to sympathise with the war criminals who were convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal and whose convictions were upheld by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.

We strongly protest the irresponsible remark that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went ‘quickly from hero to strongman’. In fact, the Father of the Nation was martyred as part of a conspiracy by anti-liberation forces.

The autocratic, military rule carried forward the agenda of the anti-liberation forces. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ended autocracy and brought the country back to democracy and rule of law. Indeed, Bangladesh is again a liberal and progressive democracy where people of all faiths, cast and creed enjoy equal rights and where opposition is vocal, civil society is vibrant, judiciary is independent, civilian rule is supreme and media is free.

A small group of people supporting anti-liberation forces may be disheartened by the internationally acclaimed success of Bangladesh, but the overwhelming majority of the people of Bangladesh have given a solid mandate to the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to lead the country on its path to continued peace and development.

Press counsellor

Bangladesh High Commission

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2019