US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Wednesday said Washington will work closely with the new government of Bangladesh in the areas of commerce, climate change and Rohingya issue in the coming days.
“I look forward in the coming months to working closely (with Bangladesh) to advance our mutual interest,” he told reporters after his maiden meeting with newly appointed foreign minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the foreign ministry.
Awami League has formed the government for the fourth time in a row by winning 222 seats in the elections held on January 7.
Although some foreign observers expressed satisfaction with the election, the United States and the United Kingdom declared that the vote was ‘not free or fair’.
“Washington has been concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement after the vote. He also said “We urge the Government
of Bangladesh to work with all stakeholders to create conditions in which all may participate in the pre-election and election environment freely, without fear of violence or retribution.”
Earlier, the United States had announced to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. These individuals include members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition.
Peter Haas said, “I had the opportunity to meet the new foreign minister and had an introductory meeting today so that we could talk about the future of our relations and how we work together on the issues of mutual interests such as climate change, expanding business opportunities, and Rohingya.”
He did not take any questions from the journalists.
