Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to the Ritz Carlton hotel in Washington DC turned into an unexpected encounter with a group of BNP-Jamaat supporters protesting outside in the cold and pouring rain. The prime minister showed a gesture of goodwill and invited them to come inside to discuss their problems, but the protesters rejected her offer and left the scene.
According to the prime minister’s speech writer, M Nazrul Islam, PM noticed the demonstrators while she was on her way to attend a civic reception at the hotel. She sympathized with them and suggested that their representatives should come inside the hotel to express their grievances. Nazrul quoted the prime minister as saying, “Let them come in here to say what they want.”
The premier then requested her PS-II Al Mamun Murshed and one official from the Bangladesh mission to bring the protesters inside the hotel. However, police officials initially denied permission to bring them in without approval from the hotel authority. Eventually, the officials obtained permission from the hotel authority to allow the protesters inside.
Despite these efforts, the BNP-Jamaat protesters left the scene without accepting the prime minister’s invitation. Nazrul mentioned that the prime minister had genuinely wanted to listen to their concerns.
It remains unclear why the protesters refused the invitation, but the incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the BNP-Jamaat group and the ruling party. The prime minister’s gesture of inviting the protesters inside the hotel may have been an attempt to reach out and bridge the divide between the two sides.
Overall, the encounter between the prime minister and the BNP-Jamaat protesters at the Ritz Carlton Hotel highlights the importance of dialogue and communication in resolving political differences and promoting understanding.
