WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States expressed concern on Monday over reports of intimidation and political violence during protests in Bangladesh against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged the government of Bangladesh to thoroughly investigate the reports of violence and hold the perpetrators accountable in a transparent and impartial manner.
The protests, which took place over the weekend, saw police firing rubber bullets and tear gas at opposition party supporters who demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina and called for the upcoming elections, scheduled for January, to be conducted under a neutral caretaker government.
Miller called on Bangladesh to create a safe environment for peaceful assembly and for all parties involved to refrain from violence, harassment, and intimidation. He emphasized that free and fair elections rely on the commitment of voters, political parties, youth wings, and the police, and cannot occur in an atmosphere of political violence.
The United States had previously announced in May that it would restrict visas for individuals in Bangladesh who undermine the democratic process, following allegations of vote-rigging and suppression of the opposition in the 2014 and 2018 elections. While the government of Prime Minister Hasina has denied these accusations, critics have accused her of authoritative rule, human rights violations, censorship of free speech, and suppression of dissent, including imprisonment of her critics.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis; Editing by Mark Porter and Deepa Babington)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
