BNP-Jamaat protesters refuse PM Hasina's invite to meet her in hotel: Official

When Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saw a group of BNP-Jamaat supporters protesting outside Ritz Carlton hotel in Washington DC amid cold and pouring rain, she invited them to come inside to talk about their problems.

But the demonstrators poured cold water on her good gesture and left the place. This happened here on Tuesday.

According to Prime Minister's speech writer M Nazrul Islam when Hasina was coming to hotel Ritz Carlton to attend a civic reception she saw that some supporters of BNP-Jamaat were demonstrating in front of the hotel.

“The Prime Minister saw it and at that time it was raining and biting cold outside,” he said.

Hasina said since they (BNP-Jamaat supporters) are demonstrating outside in cold, let their representatives come in, according to Nazrul.

“Let them come in here to say what they want,” he quoted the PM as saying.

The premier then asked her PS-II Al Mamun Murshed and one official from the the Bangladesh mission to bring them to the hotel.

“But police officials here at first denied to allow them without the permission from the hotel authority, then the officials took the permission from the hotel authority for taking them inside. But the demonstrating BNP-Jamaat supporters left the place spurning the good gesture of the Prime Minister,” Nazrul mentioned.

The prime minister sincerely wanted to listen to them, he said.