The United States has reiterated its call for holding a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
“We’ve been consistent on the need for Bangladesh to hold free and fair elections,” said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby at a media briefing at the White House.
Kirby made the remarks when his attention was drawn to the much-discussed letter from six congressmen to US President Joe Biden, seeking measures for a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
Read: US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh
“Look, we’ve been consistent, and I’m aware of the communication,” Kirby said.
To demonstrate that commitment, he said, the State Department recently announced a “3C” visa policy that would restrict visas to individuals who “undermine” Bangladesh’s elections.
On Monday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said there are many “exaggerations, lack of information and inconsistency” in the letter from the six US congressmen to President Biden.
Read: US doesn’t endorse one political party over another in Bangladesh: State Department
“But constructively, we will reach out to all these members,” he told reporters while responding to a question, noting that such activities might increase in the coming days as the election nears.
Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam said they saw such letters in the past, too.
Read: Exaggeration, inconsistency in Congressmen’s letter: Shahriar Alam
“Over the last seven days, I tried my best to explain where the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States stands today,” he said, adding that propaganda and misinformation against the government was also there earlier.