Ambassador Hass' car surrounded by protestors of Mayer Kanna: US Embassy

The US Embassy in Dhaka has said they take "seriously" all allegations of human rights violations and regularly meets with a wide variety of human rights organizations.

"The US Embassy had not received any prior communication from Mayer Kanna over the last several years," said a US Embassy spokesperson on Sunday in light of various articles and statements surrounding Ambassador Haas's meeting with Mayer Dak on December 14.

Providing more information to the media in an email, the spokesperson said human rights are at the "center" of US foreign policy.
The US Ambassador ended his "prescheduled" meeting with "Mayer Dak" on December 14 due to "security concerns".  

"The meeting was interrupted by protestors, who attempted to enter the building where the Ambassador was located. Other protestors surrounded the Ambassador's vehicle," said the spokesperson.

He said they have raised this matter at the "highest levels" of the Bangladesh government, as well as with the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, D.C.

It may be recalled that a group of people constantly interrupted US Ambassador Peter Haas' meeting with missing BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon's sister at a house at Shaheenbagh in the capital on Wednesday morning.

When the US Ambassador came out of the house, protestors belonging to an organisation "Mayer Kanna" allegedly tried to surround him and gave him a memorandum. He then hurriedly got on board of his car through the police escort.

BNP leader Sumon has been missing since 2013. His family claim that the law enforcing agencies had pick him up before the 2014 general elections.

Earlier on Sunday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there had been no lack of security when US Ambassador Peter Haas visited Shaheenbagh area recently.