12th parliamentary election: US policy is for free, fair and peaceful election

Staff Reporter :
The United States has reiterated that their foreign policy regarding the 12th parliamentary election in Bangladesh is a free, fair and peaceful election.

“We want to see a free and peaceful election in Bangladesh. We want to see the elections carried out as – carried out peacefully.

That has been our policy, as I have made clear a number of times from here,” Matthew Miller, State Department Spokesperson said during a briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday.

Whenever the State Department was asked about its position pertaining to the election in Bangladesh, it has always given the plain answer that they want to see a free fair and peaceful election.

To assist the government, the US has also slapped a Visa Policy for the Bangladeshi individuals who would be involved in thwarting the electoral process.

Even the US has been repeatedly stating that it does not support or favour any political party, rather they would continue their engagement with the government, opposition, civil society and other stakeholders.

Even the US said that the Bangladeshi people themselves want free, fair and peaceful elections and everybody should work for achieving that goal.

However, the government has repeatedly urged the international community to distance from commenting about the internal matters of Bangladesh, especially the upcoming election slated on January 7.

Meanwhile, the opposition political parties, especially Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said that they would not participate in the election as they doubt about free and fair election under the incumbent government.

When the United States is talking about free and fair election, most of the senior BNP leaders are languishing behind bars under the charges of various cases.

The Election Commission is galloping over the election with its pre-announced poll schedule, setting the last date of nomination submission on November 30.