Staff Reporter :The US government has welcomed the Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporations elections with the hope that all parties will follow democratic practices.”We expect all parties to follow democratic practices, and really, there could be no room here for violence or intimidation. That’s the message we’ve been sending to the Bangladeshis as they go forward here,” acting spokesperson of the US Department of State Marie Harf told a regular press briefing in Washington, DC on Thursday.Replying to a query over updates of the upcoming election in Dhaka and Chittagong, she said that the US had welcomed the announcement of the city corporation polls.”We have called on those who are administering them and participating in the elections to uphold their responsibility to ensure they are free, fair, and nonviolent,” Marie Harf said. She said, “We have encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and the Election Commission to protect citizens’ rights to free expression and association during the campaign, again, to ensure free, fair election on polling day.”Asked about arrest of a councillor candidate and divided rule on bail of a BNP-blessed mayor candidate in Dhaka South City Corporation, she said, “I hadn’t seen those reports today. Let me check with our team and see if there’s more to say about this.”
