US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said the concern over the national polls in Bangladesh doesn’t mean that the US doesn’t have any responsibility to work with Bangladesh.
He said this in response to a question from a journalist during the regular briefing of the state department Thursday.
A journalist asked him if the United States was interested in working with Bangladesh in various security areas including counterterrorism, border security, cyber security, maritime security, and regional stability, and how it was possible to work in a larger context with the new government of Bangladesh without welcoming the prime minister.
In response, Matthew Miller said the US has relationships of this sort all around the world.
“We expressed our concerns about the Bangladeshi election. We’ve expressed our concerns about crackdowns in Bangladesh, but that doesn't mean that we don't have the responsibility to work with the government – both on areas where we have concern and also areas where we believe we can cooperateon shared priorities.”
The US has been vocal during the last two years in favour of free and fair elections in Bangladesh. It also announced a visa policy saying that those undermining democracy and elections would face visa restrictions.
The 12th national election in Bangladesh was held peacefully on January 7. It witnessed a festive voting atmosphere, with 127 observers from 11 countries attesting to its fairness and acceptability during a subsequent press conference.
After the elections on January 7, the US issued a statement saying the polls were not free and fair. It also asked the government to ensure fair legal process for the political opponents detained ahead of the polls.
