US back free and fair elections in BD, without endorsing parties

Staff Reporter  :
The US has reiterated its support for free and fair elections in Bangladesh and globally, while refraining from endorsing any political party or candidate.
“The U.S. supports free and fair elections in Bangladesh as well as around the world, and we do not endorse one political party or candidate over another,” Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department said, during a press briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday, while addressing questions about Bangladesh-US relations and the upcoming elections in Bangladesh.

Regarding the accusation made by the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that the US is involved in regime change around the world, Patel did not offer any comment on her statement.

“I don’t have anything to offer on the prime minister comments. Broadly what I will say is that the US doesn’t consider it interference to have honest dialogue with our friends and partners about concerns that we have and shared interests that we have that may or may not impact the bilateral relationship, that may – may or may not impact regional concerns and regional priorities,” he said.

Patel also acknowledged the importance of Bangladesh as a country and the potential for deepening economic ties, addressing climate change, and security cooperation.
“On the criticism about our embassy in Dhaka, I will say our embassy in Dhaka acts as an envoy for our bilateral relationship with Bangladesh as well as all of our embassies around the world do. And what I will note – Bangladesh is a country of great importance to us. It’s a country we are interested in deepening our relationships with,” he stated.

When asked about the recent statement made by the US Secretary of State, Blinken, on the need for a free, fair, credible, and neutral election in Bangladesh, Patel emphasised that this is the expectation for any country in the world.

Overall, the US State Department spokesperson expressed the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation between the US and Bangladesh, while emphasising the importance of free and fair elections and neutrality in the democratic process.