The government's 'misdirected and failed' foreign policy deprived Bangladesh of the prestigious post. It wasted state funds on the campaign for an 'unacceptable candidate' and tarnished the image of the country, they said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina said, " Due to narrow political considerations, the coalition government nominated an unacceptable candidate, who is anti-liberation and is accused of unlawful activities." That is why Bangladesh could not secure the post, she added.

The former prime minister said during the tenure of the AL government, they had received assurances from the OIC about Bangladesh getting the post of its secretary-general this time. But the nomination of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury led to loss of the opportunity and that it was nothing unexpected, she noted.

Former ambassador Faruk Chowdhury told BBC last night Bangladesh's candidate was to become secretary-general of the OIC this time but an appropriate candidate with diplomatic experience was not nominated.

"He (the candidate) was considered unacceptable because he had several accusations against him," Chowdhury added.

Former assistant secretary general of the OIC from Bangladesh Arshaduzzaman told BBC Bangladesh faced international criticism for repeatedly selecting inappropriate candidates for the post of OIC secretary general.

"The candidate this time lacked experience and was not known internationally," said Arshaduzzaman. The previous political candidates had some experience in the international arena but this time the nominee is just a member of parliament and an adviser to the prime minister, he mentioned.

But former ambassador Mufleh R Osamany told BSS "Unfortunately, our candidate this time faced campaigns against him by some Bangladeshis. This might have damaged our prospect at the last moment."

President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh Manzurul Ahsan Khan said, "It is not a defeat for Bangladesh, it is a defeat for anti-Bangladesh forces and for the government that made anti- Bangladesh elements and war criminals its allies."

"It is a victory of conscious people of the OIC-member countries and Bangladesh government should take lessons from it," he told The Daily Star.

President of the Workers party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon said defeat of the Bangladesh nominee rather 'saved the prestige of the nation and the country'.

"We had warned the government against nominating an anti-liberation person as a candidate for OIC secretary general but it ignored that," he told The Daily Star.

President of a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) Hasanul Haque Inu and General Secretary Syed Jafar Sazzad, in a joint statement, said, " Defeat in the election of OIC secretary general is the result of nominating a controversial man as the candidate and pursuing a misdirected and failed foreign policy."

President of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir, said,

"Bangladesh lost the opportunity to get the post of OIC secretary general because the government nominated an anti-liberation war person , which also tarnished the image of the country." He congratulated the OIC-member countries for not electing him.

The city AL and Bangladesh Chhatra League said nomination of Chowdhury damaged Bangladesh's image abroad.