Dhaka: The United States has expressed concern over the ongoing political violence in Bangladesh. This concern was expressed over the attack on BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in response to a reporter’s question at a regular press conference on Monday local time, “We call for a transparent and impartial investigation into these acts of violence and to bring the perpetrators involved in the violence to account.”
The details of this briefing are presented on the website of the US State Department.
In the press conference, a journalist asked Matthew Miller, millions of people have protested in the capital Dhaka to demand the resignation of the ruling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Local and international media reports said police and members of the ruling party brutally attacked protesters and opposition leaders during a peaceful protest on Saturday, injuring hundreds, including top opposition leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.
How do you assess the content of the situation, observing the increasing police brutality against the opposition and the government’s clearly hard-line stance on the matter? What steps will the US State Department take to ensure the possibility of credible and peaceful elections in Bangladesh?
In response, Matthew Miller said, “We are concerned about the intimidation and political violence in Bangladesh surrounding the political protests earlier this week.” We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into these acts of violence and to hold the perpetrators of the violence accountable.
He also said that we call for creating a safe environment so that the people of Bangladesh can gather peacefully and express their concerns. It also calls on all parties to respect fundamental freedoms and the rule of law and to refrain from acts of violence, harassment and intimidation.
Another journalist asked in the briefing, everyone knows that a national election is imminent in Bangladesh. The United States announced a visa policy to ensure democratic processes in Bangladesh. Apart from this, the incumbent Prime Minister has assured the United States and the European Union that there will be a free and fair election in Bangladesh. But the main opposition party has unleashed arson, terror and vandalism in the nation’s capital over the past week. They are attacking not only private property but also police property. They burned everything there. They have created a battlefield-like situation in the capital. They are doing this at the demand of the election government, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. What is your comment on this?
In response, Miller said, what he said in response to the previous question, his comments are the same in this case as well.
He asked Miller again, ‘I want an observation from you. On June 15, during the hearing of a judicial review (review) application, a Canadian federal judge called the BNP a terrorist organization. The judicial review was against the rejection of a BNP worker’s application for political asylum in Canada. They called the group as a terrorist organization for the fifth time. What are your observations on this?
In response, Miller said, “I have no observations on this matter.”
