US keen to work with interim govt, dismisses involvement in protests

The United States has reiterated its readiness and interest to work with the interim government in Bangladesh in the run up to its democratic future. 

Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson of the US department of state, said this while responding to queries at a press briefing on Monday. 

A journalist asked about the US stance on recent political developments in Bangladesh as it has been one month since the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus took charge.

He also drew the spokesperson’s attention to some media reports from India that suggested Chinese involvement in recent student protests in Bangladesh, and sought to know about the US assessment and if there are any strategic concerns in the region. 

In response, Vedant Patel said they continued to monitor the developments in Bangladesh closely. “We continue to be ready and eager to work with the interim government that’s led by Dr. Yunus as it charts its democratic future for the people of Bangladesh. Beyond that, I am just not going to speculate.” 

In a separate question, the journalist asked about allegations reported by some Indian media outlets suggesting US involvement in anti-government protests in Bangladesh. Highlighting the historic alliance between India and the ousted Bangladeshi government, he queried whether these allegations could impact US-India relations in the coming days. 

However, the spokesperson dismissed these reports, saying, “I have not seen those reports. But what I can unequivocally say is that they are not true. That is probably why I have not seen them.”