Working with civil society for free, fair polls

The United States is working with the civil society actors in Bangladesh for a free and fair election scheduled late next year, said Afreen Akhter, US deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs.

"Our USAID mission here is working very closely with the civil society actors across Bangladesh to support their efforts to provide free and fair elections," she said after holding a meeting with the top foreign ministry officials yesterday.

Akhter, who arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a two-day visit, met the foreign ministry's Maritime Affairs Unit Secretary Rear Admiral (Retd) Khurshed Alam; Nayem Uddin Ahmed, director general (Americas wing) and Mia Md Mainul Kabir, director general (Myanmar wing).

Akhter, who is in charge of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives, as well as the Office of Security and Transnational Affairs, said she discussed with officials the whole range of bilateral relations, including cooperation on maritime affairs, free and fair elections, labour reforms and Rohingya crisis.

Foreign ministry officials said sanctions on Rab, human rights, freedom of the press, Indo-Pacific strategy, and the security situation in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border were also discussed during the meetings.

During the meetings yesterday, foreign ministry officials requested that the US withdraw sanctions on Rab and the seven officials.

When the issue of the fair election was discussed, they said the polls will be held as per the Constitution, adding that no democracy is perfect and the authorities address any challenges when they arise, sources said.

The US also wants Bangladesh on its side under its Indo-Pacific strategy as the Indo-Pacific has become a focus of the global powers.

Afreen said she discussed how both countries can cooperate to counter illegal fishing and other forms of maritime security in the region.

The US embassy has recently opened a commercial office in Dhaka aimed at boosting trade. The US is the single largest export market for Bangladesh, with about $11 billion worth of annual exports.

However, it is yet to lift the suspension on GSP, which was imposed following the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. The US says it still has concerns over labour conditions in Bangladesh, though progress has been made since then.

On the Rohingya issue, Afreen said they want Bangladesh to expand livelihood and education opportunities in the camps and ensure that the relocation to Bhashanchar from Cox's Bazar is voluntary.

Afreen wanted to know the security conditions in the Rohingya camps and the recent border violation by the Myanmar military.

Foreign ministry officials said the security condition was deteriorating and that starting the Rohingya repatriation was urgent. They sought strong US support in this regard.