POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Oct 18, 2023 :The United States continues to express hope for a free, fair, and peaceful election in Bangladesh. Consequently, the country will closely monitor the political situation in Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming national parliament elections.
The United States is advocating for a peaceful transition to democracy in Bangladesh to further enhance the significant partnership between the two countries.
Afreen Akhtar, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the South and Central Asia Bureau, conveyed Washington’s position during her visit to Bangladesh. After a two-day visit, she left Dhaka on Tuesday night.
Afreen Akhter arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning. On the first day of her visit, she met Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at the State Guest House, Padma. Before this meeting, she had discussions with the two Director Generals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdousi Shahriar and Khandker Masudul Alam.
Later that day, Afreen Akhter met with a delegation from civil society at the residence of the US Ambassador, Peter Haas, in Dhaka. Before departing from Dhaka Tuesday night, she visited the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.
According to diplomatic sources, Afreen Akhter’s two-day visit delved into various aspects of the relationship between the two countries during discussions with government and civil society representatives. The issue of elections was a recurrent topic in these discussions.
Afreen Akhter clearly reiterated her government’s optimism for free, fair, and peaceful elections during her visit to Dhaka. According to diplomatic sources, in this context, she stated that the administration of President Joe Biden supports the five-point recommendations of the independent pre-election observation team from the United States that visited Bangladesh.
A pre-election observation team consisting of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) visited Bangladesh from 8 to 12 October. They recommended five points, one of which is meaningful dialogue between political parties for ensuring fair elections.
Afreen Akhter visited Dhaka for the second time since May. This visit may mark the last one by a senior representative to Bangladesh before the upcoming elections.
Diplomatic sources have stated that the United States places special importance on its multidimensional relations with Bangladesh. Afreen Akhter mentioned during her visit to Dhaka that the United States will closely monitor the current political and overall environment in the three months leading up to the elections in Bangladesh. They will regularly assess the direction in which the situation in Bangladesh is heading.
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State sought the opinions of civil society representatives regarding free, fair, and peaceful elections during their interaction. Furthermore, she inquired about the extent to which US actions, such as visa policies, contribute to ensuring fair elections.
According to two civil society representatives present at the meeting, they discussed the matter of inclusive elections at length. They emphasised the importance of people’s involvement and active participation of the two primary political parties in the electoral process. As per these representatives, the vote share of the two main political parties is almost same. Hence, they stressed that people should have the opportunity to choose their preferred party and candidate.
At this time, Afreen Akhter conveyed to the guests that the United States also advocates for people’s participation in voting. It is essential for them to have a fair opportunity to make choices and exercise their right to vote according to their preferences.
During the meeting, she reiterated on behalf of the US that the people of Bangladesh should actively participate in the electoral process. She emphasised that the future course of democracy in Bangladesh depends on the people of this country. It was emphasised that this perspective should not be construed as the United States interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections. However, there remains a question as to why the US continues to emphasise this point. When asked about this, a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this reporter that the United States seeks to witness tangible evidence rather than mere promises regarding free and fair elections. Therefore, the country maintains a form of psychological pressure to ensure that Bangladesh fulfills its commitment effectively.
Several senior US officials have visited Bangladesh this year. Among them were US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, and Global Anti-Corruption Bureau Coordinator Richard Nephew.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the G-20 conference in India. Last month, US National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.
When asked, the former ambassador of Bangladesh in Washington, M. Humayun Kabir, told UNI, “I believe that the United States wants an inclusive election with the participation of all parties. Due to this expectation, they have been consistently emphasising the need for fair and peaceful elections. They are encouraging everyone to work towards achieving this.”
He further stated, “This is why Afreen Akhtar reiterated their desire for free and fair elections while discussing her country’s keen interest in Bangladesh. The United States aims to be engaged, considering the potential future opportunities in Bangladesh.”
Humayun Kabir believes that if the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner, the relationship between the United States and Bangladesh will become more prosperous. This is the message conveyed by Afreen Akhter.
