The United States has said it is "closely monitoring" the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to January’s national election and they take incidents of violence "very seriously".

The US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a regular press briefing in Washington DC on Tuesday (October 31).

“We are engaging and will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people and to ensure free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner,” he said.

"We do believe that dialogue is important to achieving those goals," he said.

Miller said, “I’ve said before, as I said yesterday, the holding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone, all political parties, voters, government, civil society, and the media.”

"And what we want in Bangladesh is the same thing the Bangladeshi people want, which are free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner," said the US State Department spokesperson.

BDST: 1700 HRS, NOV 01, 2023
MN/SMS