VTMBH Article: Body
A tremendous blow was inflicted on Bangladeshs image in the international arena, just as Bangladesh was building its image as a moderate Muslim country.
This has been done in a well organized and very deliberate way by expatriate anti-Bangladeshi groups, who must have cheered when the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Wall Street Journal recently depicted Bangladesh as a fundamentalist and pro-Taliban state. The Bangladesh government and those who monitor such incidents should have known that when those disposed to destroy the public image of Bangladeshis hold closed door fund raising dinners for the politicians of this country, such defamation was inevitable.
Bangladeshi diplomats living in Washington began a campaign of shuttle diplomacy to counter the anti-Bangladesh propaganda, a heart and soul effort to keep up the image of Bangladesh here. Ahmad and his high ranking colleagues have been meeting with the Bush Administration, mainstream politicians and congressmen frequently.
Bangladeshi diplomats have gone to the Bush Administration and U.S. politicians of this country to talk about overall issues. But they must continually face tough questions about fundamentalism, communal problems and the oppression of minority communities. One diplomat told this correspondent that they raised such issues before discussion before the duty-free entrance of Bangladeshi goods to U.S market, general amnesty for undocumented Bangladeshis living here, exchange of high level visits and recent incidents. They have appreciated our stand.
This has been done in a well organized and very deliberate way by expatriate anti-Bangladeshi groups, who must have cheered when the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Wall Street Journal recently depicted Bangladesh as a fundamentalist and pro-Taliban state. The Bangladesh government and those who monitor such incidents should have known that when those disposed to destroy the public image of Bangladeshis hold closed door fund raising dinners for the politicians of this country, such defamation was inevitable.
Bangladeshi diplomats living in Washington began a campaign of shuttle diplomacy to counter the anti-Bangladesh propaganda, a heart and soul effort to keep up the image of Bangladesh here. Ahmad and his high ranking colleagues have been meeting with the Bush Administration, mainstream politicians and congressmen frequently.
Bangladeshi diplomats have gone to the Bush Administration and U.S. politicians of this country to talk about overall issues. But they must continually face tough questions about fundamentalism, communal problems and the oppression of minority communities. One diplomat told this correspondent that they raised such issues before discussion before the duty-free entrance of Bangladeshi goods to U.S market, general amnesty for undocumented Bangladeshis living here, exchange of high level visits and recent incidents. They have appreciated our stand.