WASHINGTON: The United States (US) said Wednesday it would restrict visas to Bangladeshis who destabilize elections in a pre-emptive warning as fears mount of turmoil in the next vote.
Washington Sends Warning to Dhaka on Free and Fairs Polls
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was supporting “free, fair and peaceful elections” and would target either opposition or pro-government supporters in the deeply polarized country.
Blinken said, “I am going to announce this policy to lend our support to all those seeking to further advance democracy in Bangladesh”. The US Secretary of State said the move could affect former, current officials, members of law enforcement, the judiciary, security services, and politicians “believed to be responsible for undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.”
In a statement, he said that conducting free and fair elections is the job of everyone, including voters, the government, political parties, the security forces, the media, and civil society. Bangladesh is scheduled to conduct general elections next January. The opposition party has already been leading large protest demonstrations, demanding that the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hand over to a caretaker government and blaming her for irregularities in past elections.
The US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the visa announcement should not be considered as a Washington accusation against the government in Bangladesh. The US under President Joe Biden has voiced concern on rights, criticizing a law on digital security that has been seen as a tool to curb online dissent, and also did not invite Bangladesh to its two summits of democracies.
