US has done well by imposing the visa policy: Salman F Rahman
The US has done well by imposing the visa restrictions, the prime minister's advisor for private industry and investment Salman F Rahman has commented. He said, the main opposition party has said they will not allow the election to take place. The US has said they will place sanctions on those who obstruct the election.
Salman F Rahman was speaking to journalists at a hotel in the capital today, Saturday, after the inauguration of the Third International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning.
The US has imposed visa sanctions in several members of the law enforcement, members of the ruling party and the political opposition. This was stated by the American Embassy in Dhaka after the US State Department yesterday, Friday, declared that it has started imposing sanctions on those who were obstructing the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
When asked how the government was viewing these visa restrictions, Salman F Rahman replied, "They had done well in imposing these visa restrictions. They said they would sanction those who obstructed the election. The government has said, we want a free and fair election. We do not want to obstruct it."
Salman F Rahman went on to say, the main opposition party has said they will not allow the election to be held. How will they not allow it to be held? There is only one way -- violence. The visa sanctions have been imposed for those who obstruct the election. Names from the opposition are on the list too.
When asked if the visa restriction will have an impact on trade with the US, Salman F Rahman replied, there is no connection between trade and this visa restriction. Bangladesh has entered the US market competing with many countries of the world. The US hasn't given Bangladesh any special facilities. We have to pay 15.5 per cent tariff to enter the US market. The European Union (EU), Canada and UK provide duty-free facilities, something that the US hasn't done.
EU will not be sending a full-fledged election observation team to observe Bangladesh's forthcoming national parliamentary election. This decision was taken on the basis of recommendations of the EU's pre-election observation team. The election commission was informed of the matter by letter on Wednesday.
As to whether EU not sending an observation team will question the credibility of the election, Salman F Rahman replied, "It is their matter as to whether they will send observers or not. They want free and fair elections, so do we."