REPORT IN Dhaka Tribune, Aug 16, 2023
The visit of two US congressmen has underscored the “continued commitment” of Washington to strengthening US-Bangladesh bilateral relations, the US embassy has said.
Representatives of US Congress Rich McCormick and Ed Case left Bangladesh on Tuesday.
During their four-day visit, they met with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, leaders of the ruling Awami League, opposition BNP and Jatiya Party, and members of civil society, among others.
They also visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and met with Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner office representatives.
They also paid respect to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a floral wreath at his portrait at Dhanmondi 32.
Their visit took place ahead of Bangladesh’s general election, scheduled to be held by January, in which the US is taking an interest.
The Biden administration has announced a policy to restrict visas for those who would stand in the way of free and fair polls in Bangladesh.
The two main parties – the Awami League and BNP – are at loggerheads over how the election should be held.
Earlier, six members of the US Congress in a letter urged President Joe Biden to intervene in Bangladesh’s electoral process.
In another letter, 14 congressmen asked Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, for measures against the Bangladesh government ahead of the country’s general election.
None of the visiting congressmen was the signatory of any of the letters.
However, during their meeting with the foreign minister, they asked about scopes for compromise between the parties.
The foreign minister said there was no way to reach a compromise since the BNP wanted the government to step down.
He also asked the congressmen whether the government in Washington would step down before the election there. “Certainly not,” the foreign minister said, adding that: “Will you sit in a discussion on such a demand? Certainly not.”
The foreign minister also said: “There is no demand for consensus in Bangladesh. We want a free and fair election. But our opposition does not care about elections. They only want the government to step down. It can not be a topic of discussion.”
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/322610/embassy-us-congressmen-s-visit-part-of
