The United States of America (USA) has reiterated that it does not support any particular party and does not want to influence the outcome of the election in Bangladesh.
The USA only wants what the Bangladeshis themselves want: free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a regular media briefing in Washington on Monday.
The country is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in,
undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh in this regard.
Washington has already informed Dhaka regarding their decision under the new US policy which US said was aimed to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections. The US is committed to supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh that are carried out in a peaceful manner. The visa policy of the US consists of the requirements for foreign nationals to travel to, enter, and remain in the US. The new policy does not bother the government of Bangladesh as authorities are committed to holding a free and fair election The policy includes current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of pro-government and opposition political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services. The new policy does not bother the government of Bangladesh as authorities are committed to holding a free and fair election.
BNP-Jamaat appeared
more vulnerable to the
US visa restriction as they
were involved in acts to
foil the next election
The announcement came as main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been waging a campaign to restore an election time non-party caretaker government to oversee elections saying no polls under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration would be fair. The party also vowed not to take part in any election under the incumbent Awami League-led government.
Therefore, this policy supports Prime Minister Hasina’s stated commitment to hold free and fair election in Bangladesh and allow the US to act when Bangladeshi citizens or officials from all political parties undermine the critical demand of democracy. Besides, the new US visa policy would stop arson attack and violence in Bangladesh centering the upcoming general election. So the government is not worried about the US Visa restriction as Washington started imposing it on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the country’s democratic election process.
Earlier, some political parties tried to establish that the (US) visa restriction will be imposed on only ruling political party, but the US again made it clear that the new policy is applicable to both the ruling and opposition political parties.
We expect that the US government would implement the new visa restriction policy after properly reviewing facts and figures in a fair way.
The government believes that members of BNP-Jamaat appeared more vulnerable to the US visa restriction as they were involved in acts to foil the next election.
