‘It’ll help us hold free, fair polls’

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen hoped that the new US visa policy will help Bangladesh hold free and fair elections.

"We hope it will help us conduct free and fair elections, especially violence will not be there. Those who resort to violence will refrain from it," he told reporters after a meeting with US Ambassador Peter Haas at the foreign ministry yesterday afternoon.

The minister said bilateral issues and the new visa policy were discussed in the pre-scheduled meeting.

According to the new visa policy announced on Wednesday, the US will impose visa restrictions on individuals and their immediate family members if they are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.

Similar visa policies were also announced earlier by the US for Nigeria and Somalia.

Momen said, "I asked him [envoy] if such policy is tested. He said it is a new policy which has not been tested yet.

"I asked if such policy worked for democracy. He said he cannot say this at this moment."

The foreign minister said the Awami League always fought for democracy and the peoples' rights. No government in Bangladesh would have been able to continue if elections were not acceptable, he added.

"So, we always want free and fair elections. We have held several thousand elections since 2009 and those were fair. We don't want any violence…we are committed to free and fair elections."

Momen said the authorities prepared a biometric voter list, introduced transparent ballot boxes, and formed an independent Election Commission.

Apart from the EC, all other election stakeholders, including political parties, voters, the government, civil society and other organisations, need to have a commitment to free and fair elections, he said.

The minister said the US wants to promote democracy and Bangladesh also wants it.

He said the government is not feeling uneasy about the new visa policy.

Speaking separately to reporters, Haas said his country's new policy was a show of support to anyone who have called for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

"This is something we have done in support of the Bangladeshi people, and the Bangladeshi government, the prime minister herself, and everyone here in Bangladesh who have called for free and fair elections.

"So, the recent announcement was merely our way of helping to support the democratic electoral process," the envoy said.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam yesterday said Bangladesh expects that the new US visa policy would not be implemented arbitrarily.

Asked how the government was looking at the visa policy, Shahriar told reporters at the foreign ministry, "It is not something for us to be happy or unhappy about. We are looking at it with a good spirit because they are saying that they announced the policy considering the prime minister's commitment to free and fair elections.

"As a friendly state, we are considering it positively. Our engagement over the last year or two has increased manifold. Our businesses are growing."