Clinton arrives in B'desh on tough mission

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

DHAKA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Bangladesh today to pull out of a spiral of political turmoil, saying the impoverished nation's democratic credentials were at stake.

"We urge all political actors in Bangladesh to work together for the good of the country,” Clinton told reporters following talks in Dhaka with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. “In a strong democracy, everybody has to be rowing in the same direction because you're all in the same boat,” she said. “We want to see Bangladesh succeed.” Clinton arrived in Bangladesh earlier Saturday for a brief visit shadowed by rallies and strikes over the disappearance of regional opposition figure Ilias Ali in April.

Supporters say that he was seized by security forces. Four people have died in the unrest and rights groups say dozens more have 'disappeared' — most of them politicians.

Clinton raised the issue of the disappearances during her talks with Moni and stressed the need for political parties to settle their differences in parliament and not on the streets.

“It's important that in this country which has such unlimited potential and has proven its ability to sustain the democratic path... that everybody take seriously any disappearance, any violence against activists, any oppression of civil society,” she said at a joint press conference.

She also called for an end to the recent spate of violent strikes saying they 'exact a heavy toll, especially on Bangladesh's poorest and most vulnerable citizens’.

Clinton is the first US secretary of state to visit Bangladesh since Colin Powell in 2003.

In unusually large crowds even for Clinton, thousands of Bangladeshis lined the streets for a glimpse of her motorcade. One well-wisher held a sign, “Heartiest welcome to Forgain (sic) Minister Clinton.”

After the press conference, Clinton held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and later signed a joint statement that stressed the two countries’ ‘shared values’ and ‘respect for human rights and the rule of law’.

The statement sets up a so-called “dialogue on partnership” that will include annual talks.

Later, Clinton was scheduled to meet opposition leader Khaleda Zia.