US State Dept expresses concern over harassment, arrests of opposition leaders

The US Department of State has expressed concern about reports of police harassment and arrests of opposition party leaders and activists.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said this during a daily press briefing in Washington on Tuesday.

He said they are also concerned about restrictions on the ability of the opposition parties to meet and to hold peaceful rallies.

The US State Department spokesperson said, “We call on all parties in Bangladesh to respect the rule of law and to refrain from violence, from harassment, from intimidation as well.”

“We call on the government of Bangladesh to ensure that no party or candidate threatens, incites, or conducts violence against another party or candidate,” he added.

The US State Department spokesperson also spoke about holding a fair election in Bangladesh.

“Genuine elections require the ability of all candidates to engage voters free from violence, harassment, intimidation; and we encourage the government authorities to investigate these reports of violence thoroughly, transparently, and impartially, and to hold the perpetrators to account.”

Replying to a question on the Digital Security Acts, Ned Price said, “We’re of course aware that you and some of your colleagues – Pinaki Bhattacharya– have been charged under the so-called DSA, the Digital Security Act. We have made our concerns about the DSA very clear. We’ve done so in our Human Rights Report. We have had frank and candid conversations with our Bangladeshi partners as well.”

“Freedom of expression should never be criminalized. It should never be a source or a subject of duress or intimidation. Likewise, to the second part of your question, we’re concerned about reports of intimidation and political violence in Bangladesh. We call on the government to respect and to protect the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly,” he added.