US reiterates call for talks

Source: US state department

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The United States again stressed the need for a constructive dialogue among the Awami League and BNP to find an agreed-upon way forward to hold a free, fair and credible polls that reflects the will of Bangladeshi people.

“So we believe the need is now even more urgent for the major political parties to engage immediately in constructive dialogue to find a way forward to hold elections that are free, fair, and credible, and that reflects the will of the Bangladeshi people,” said Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson of the US Department of State, during a daily press briefing in Washington, DC on December 6.

“Violence of any nature – which I know we’ve seen in Bangladesh – by any of the participants in the political process is not part of the democratic process. It’s not acceptable, must stop immediately,” she said in reply to a query on issuing travel alert to its citizen in Bangladesh.

He also expressed US stance on democracy saying “the US believes that, obviously, in a democracy, all parties have a right to express their opinions freely and peacefully”.

So, the US urged the major parties to engage in constructive dialogue to try to find “an agreed-upon way forward”, said Harf.

The US regularly issues travel alert for its citizens to caution its citizen residing in different countries. As part of the alert, the country also issued a travel alert to Bangladesh informing its citizens about the prevailing violence and political turbulence centring upcoming next general election slated for January 5.