US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat arrives here on Sunday to take up her diplomatic assignment in the country passing through political tensions.”Yes, she’ll be arriving on Sunday,” an official told UNB preferring anonymity. Earlier, the US Senate confirmed the nomination of Bernicat as new US Ambassador to Bangladesh as Ambassador Dan W Mozena has gone on retirement. On July 17 last year, Bernicat said she would work hard to support efforts to promote accountability and strengthen human rights and democracy in Bangladesh saying the parliamentary elections of January 5 were ‘undeniably flawed’.Bernicat, who was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State, said the United States remains concerned about recent trends in democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.She pledged to work with the government, civil society and Bangladeshis of all walks of life to ensure an environment that encourages the broadest and fairest participation.Bernicat mentioned that she would passionately advocate policies that enshrine peaceful democratic values, including respect for human rights and diversity, room for civil society to flourish, space for the free and peaceful discussion of political differences unmarred by violence, and adherence to the rule of law by an independent judiciary.
