The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The sudden visit of former US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia A Butenis to Dhaka has triggered many speculations in the country's political arena.

Many believe that Butenis, who suddenly arrived in Dhaka on Saturday morning, has come to Bangladesh with 'a special assignment.'

They said that Butenis arrived Dhaka at a time when Bangladesh is going through a very critical situation.

They also don't think that Butenis has not arrived in Dhaka only on a private visit.

However, brushing aside any speculation about her visit to Dhaka, Butenis yesterday said she is purely on a 'private visit.'

"It is a private visit in this country where I served not long ago," she smilingly said on reports appeared yesterday in newspapers.

Butenis attended at a function hosted by UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh Ms Renata Dessallien to celebrate the halfway mark of voter registration with photographs.

The former US Ambassador lauded the work done so far by the Election Commission in cooperation with others and described it excellent.

Butenis, who came to Bangladesh as the Ambassador of United States on March 17, 2006, left Dhaka in April last year to take up her new assignment in Iraq as deputy chief of mission in Baghdad. Since then she has been working at the US Embassy in Baghdad.

On her arrival in Dhaka, Butenis got into the residence of US Charge d' Affaires Geeta Pasi at Gulshan and has been staying there.

She also attended a dinner hosted by Canadian High Commissioner Ms Barbara Richardson at her residence in honour of her. The dinner was also attended by some foreign diplomats.

Earlier, Pakistan's interim president Wasim Sajjad arrived in Dhaka on a secret visit to Bangladesh. In honour of him, a party was hosted at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday night. The party was attended by US Charge d' Affaires Geeta Pasi, BNP's two leaders-Dr Osman Farruk and Reaz Rahman, and The Independent editor Mahbubul Alam.

However, it could not be known anything else about the visit of Wasim Sajjad to Dhaka.

Meanwhile, visiting chairman of Pakistan Senate Wasim Sajjad appreciated the caretaker government's efforts, particularly preparation of voter list with photograph, towards holding a free, fair and neutral election in Bangladesh.

He made the appreciation when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office yesterday and discussed matters of bilateral and mutual interest.

The Chief Adviser recalled and thanked Pakistan government and its people for "instantly extending cooperation and assistance for the November 15 cyclone 'Sidr'-affected people in the country's coastal belt".

The recent general election in Pakistan also came up during the discussion.

Both sides hoped that the existing friendly relations between the two countries would expand in the days ahead.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim was also present.