POBNEWS24, Dhaka Desk report, Oct 3, 2023 : The United States once again said that it wants a free, fair and peaceful election in Bangladesh and does not support any particular political party here.
US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller made this remark at a regular press briefing of the department on 2 October.
He added that the US does not want to influence the election in Bangladesh.
In the briefing, a journalist asked Miller about a statement by US ambassador Peter Haas in Bangladesh on possible visa curb on media.
The journalist said radical groups that advocate Taliban-style role in Bangladesh with and opposition leaders hailed the statement of the ambassador and are already threatening media persons, even circulating list of journalists critical to radical views. Civil and human rights activists, anti-war crimes campaigners, editors, journalists, writers, minority leaders found the statement by the ambassador on possible visa curb on media as an affront to freedom of press that has been a pivot to the fight against terror.
The journalist asked Miller if the US supports the statement by the ambassador and rejects the concern of a large liberal group.
Miller in reply said, “The United States wants what the Bangladeshis themselves want: free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner. The government, political parties, civil society, and the media in Bangladesh have all expressed their desire that the upcoming national elections are free and fair and conducted in a peaceful manner – as we want. The visa restriction policy that we’ve announced supports this objective and the desire of the people of Bangladesh to freely choose their leaders.”
He further added, “I’ll just say the United States does not support any particular party and does not want to influence the outcome of the election, only to ensure that the people of Bangladesh may freely choose their leaders.”
