Ensure fair, transparent legal process for all arrestees: US
The United States (US) has urged the government in Bangladesh to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for all of the arrested individuals. Also, it reiterated the statement that the 12th national polls here were not free and fair.
Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, came up with the remarks while responding to a journalist at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
The journalist drew the spokesperson’s attention to a Wall Street Journal report that India has been included in a Canadian inquiry on election interference, aligning with China and Russia.
He noted that India’s involvement had surfaced in a similar way in the elections of Bangladesh to keep Sheikh Hasina in power, while the foreign minister asserted India’s support in the ruling party’s election victory, 'similar to 2014 and 2018 one-sided elections.'
We also urge the Bangladeshi government to allow opposition members and media professionals, civil society representatives, to participate meaningfully in the country’s democratic process and civic life
Against such a backdrop, the journalist sought to know about the US stance regarding the critics’ allegation that the US is pushing back from its democracy promotion strategy in Bangladesh due to Indian influence.
In response, Mathew Miller declined to comment on the Canadian inquiry as it is a matter for Canada to speak to.
Regarding the US stance on Bangladesh, he said, “Democracy – as we have said number of times as it pertains to Bangladesh and others – advances peace, prosperity, and security. It is at the center of the US foreign policy and we continue to engage with the Bangladeshi government to advance democratic principles, which are key to ensuring peace and prosperity for all Bangladeshis.”
In a further question, the journalist mentioned arrests of 25,000 opposition members, including BNP leaders, to manipulate the 7 January ‘sham elections’ and the call of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their immediate release.
He asked the spokesperson about the potential 'US steps against the authoritarian regime for undermining democracy given the pre-election visa restriction policy.'
Mathew Miller reiterated his country’s concerns on the elections that they did not find it to be free and fair, and regarding the arrest of thousands of political opposition members in the run-up to the elections.
The US officials said, “I will say two things. One, we urge the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for all of the arrested individuals. We also urge the Bangladeshi government to allow opposition members and media professionals, civil society representatives, to participate meaningfully in the country’s democratic process and civic life, and we will continue to engage with the government to advance that point of view.”