Talking to journalists at a local hotel yesterday morning, she said the US will not however say anything about the elections dates which she said was a matter of the government and the Election Commission.

The envoy said the US supports the present activities of the caretaker government, but at the same time expects that fundamental and human rights are respected and the due process of law is followed for those arrested on charge of corruption.

Butenis said as they want proper investigations into the killing of former finance minister SAMS Kibria and the grenade attacks on an Awami League rally in Dhaka and the trials of the perpetrators, they also demand appropriate investigations into the killing of journalists in Khulna and the trial of their killers.

She mentioned the names of journalists Harun-ur-Rashid, Manik Saha, Humayun Kabir and Sheikh Belaluddin who were killed in terrorist attacks in Khulna and praised their courage in seeking the truth.

Butenis said press in Bangladesh is vibrant and without courageous newspaper reporting about human rights abuses and corruption, those evils would continue to spread unchecked.

Khulna Press Club President Makbul Hossain Mintu Alhaj Niamat Ali, Sahabuddin Ahmed, Abu Hasan, Ferdousi Ali and Shaheb Ali, among others, spoke.

Earlier, the US envoy inaugurated Community Internet Learning Centre at Khulna Alia Madrasa.

While inaugurating the project, Butenis said the centre will facilitate the students of the madrasa to know about the lifestyle of the American people.

She said the installation of the internet centre will strengthen the ties between Alia Madrasah and the US embassy as well as the American people.

The envoy informed that the US embassy introduced Community Internet Learning Centres at 29 schools in the last two years in cooperation with Relief International Bangladesh.

Butenis was happy to learn that alongside the religious curriculum, education on secular and modern information technology is being imparted to the madrasa students.

Firoz Alam, deputy commissioner, Khulna, presided over the function, which was also addressed by Alia Madrasa Principal Abu Saleh.