US says takes violence leading up to Bangladesh polls incredibly seriously

The United States has said it is closely monitoring the electoral environment in Bangladesh, leading up to January’s general election and that it takes any incident of violence “incredibly seriously."

“We are engaging and will continue to engage with the government, with opposition parties, with civil society and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people,” US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a regular briefing on Monday when a reporter wanted to know whether the US will ask the BNP to put an end to violence and participation in the election.

Patel reiterated that the US does not support any particular political party in Bangladesh, reports UNB.

“We don’t favour any one political party over the other. Right now our focus continues to be closely monitoring the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to January’s election, engaging appropriately with the government, with opposition leaders, with civil society and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people,” Patel said.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said they have an “incredibly talented” team at the embassy in Dhaka, led by an experienced ambassador, Peter Haas, who is well-versed not just working in Bangladesh but the broader region.