United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister’s Adviser for Private Industries and Investment Salman F. Rahman and US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya have acknowledged that in a democracy, the only means to change the government is through elections.  Rahman reiterated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's firm commitment to ensure that the upcoming national election of Bangladesh is held in a free, fair, and peaceful manner. Under Secretary Zeya reaffirmed that the US does not support any particular political party, rather it is keen to see the continuation of democracy in Bangladesh. They held a meeting on Friday (October 27, 2023) at the US Department of State in Washington DC. Businesses to be challenged by interest rate hikes in future: Salman F Rahman "Vital conversation with Salman F Rahman, MP on US-Bangladesh partnership. Looking forward to continued engagement on shared concerns, including delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza; free & fair elections in Bangladesh; and Rohingya refugee support," Uzra Zeya tweeted after the meeting.  They discussed a wide range of bilateral issues including further enhancing the existing economic partnership between Bangladesh and the USA. BNP spreading lies about US visa policy: Salman F Rahman Adviser Rahman and Under Secretary Zeya also discussed recent conflicts in the Middle East, Rohingya issue and general election in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.  Uzra Zeya praised Bangladesh’s generosity for hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya population and assured continued US support for them. Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Afreen Akhter and senior officials of Bangladesh Embassy and US State Department were present at the meeting. BNP will miss election bus if they stick to one-point demand: Salman F Rahman

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (August 06, 2023) asked her Awami League party leaders and activists to prepare for the upcoming national election. “All have to work unitedly to ensure the win of the Awami League-nominated candidates in the next election,” she said while delivering concluding remarks at the special extended meeting of Bangladesh Awami League at her official residence Ganabhaban. In reply to the call of their party chief, all the leaders attending the meeting raised their hands and expressed their commitment to do so accordingly. Read: Mass people are our only masters, no one else: PM Hasina tells AL special meet Issuing directives to all Awami League leaders and activists to prepare themselves for the upcoming national election, Hasina said “Our only strength is the people.” Noting that the upcoming national elections are very important, she urged her party members to highlight and present to the people the development works  that have been implemented in every area during the last 14 years and a half of the Awami League rule. “All these developments in Bangladesh have been possible because Awami League has been in power," she said. Read: PMO for increasing leather export to $5 billion within four years Criticizing the activities of BNP and its leaders, the Awami League President said that the birth of BNP had been an outright sin. “The birth of the BNP had happened through the illegal seizure of power, through the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and through terrorism," she asserted. She mentioned that since the Awami League formed the government in 2009, BNP has carried out arson violence, killed people, staged blockade programmes, and committed many other misdeeds. “But, no movement can harm the country and the people as Awami League is a strong organisation and we are accepted by the people.” Read: PM Hasina urges private sector to patronize sports and culture Rather, they (BNP) are gradually being questioned by people, she added. Hasina called upon all to be vigilant against rumours and misinformation, saying Awami League never bow to anyone.

Members of the Election Exploratory Mission (ExM) from European Union (EU) had a meeting with the Election Commission (EC) today (July 11, 2023), and wanted to know about its preparations for holding the next election "fairly and peacefully." The EC discussed its preparations with the visiting EU delegation. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, EU delegation leader Chelleri Riccardo, and EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whitely, among others, were present at the meeting. EC proved its ‘impartiality, capability through fair polls’ in 5 recent city elections: Monitoring Forum tells EU delegates A technical team of the mission will further discuss the relevant issues with the EC on July 18,19. EU delegation leader Riccardo said they are in Dhaka to assess the pre-electoral conditions in order to prepare an analysis for the EU High Representative which will then decide whether or not a full election observation mission will be deployed in Bangladesh. EU encourages ‘peaceful, fair, participatory’ election in Bangladesh: Ambassador Whiteley The CEC did not make any comment, saying his views are aligned with that of the EU delegation leader. Riccardo did not take any questions from the media. The EU mission will stay in Bangladesh till July 23. The main objective of the Election Exploratory Mission is to assess the “advisability, usefulness and feasibility” of a possible EU Election Observation Mission for the upcoming parliamentary election, according to the EU Mission in Dhaka. AL prefers dictatorship, feudalism, not democracy: Fakhrul

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.

Awami League leader Mohammad A. Arafat has sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hoping that the US new visa policy will apply to those BNP leaders who are making an open declaration to obstruct the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. "I hope your Visa policy will apply to these people as well," he mentioned in his letter that he also shared from his verified Facebook page. Read more: Nothing to worry about new US visa policy; don't want arson, violence: Momen Arafat, a member of the AL central executive committee attached some video footages of some BNP leaders declaring they would obstruct the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. The AL leader said according to the visa policy that Secretary Blinken announced recently (and the letter that he sent to the FM of Bangladesh), “This policy supports Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stated commitment to hold a free and fair election in Bangladesh and allows the United State to act when Bangladeshi citizen or officials from all political parties undermine this critical pillar of democracy.” Read more: New visa policy to help PM Hasina's govt in holding fair elections: US