Staff Reporter :
The United States on Thursday expressed concern over the irregularities in the Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) polls.
“The US is concerned about the reports of alleged irregularities, including ballot stuffing and intimidation, against the opposition party workers during the Gazipur city polls,” said US Ambassador Mercia Bernicat at the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) talks held at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
The GCC election was held on Tuesday in which ruling Awami League candidate was elected mayor for next five years.
The US Ambassador has linked free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh with the stability of the Indo-Pacific region for which the new American administration has adopted a strategy.
“The US and Bangladesh are built on the same democratic principles and foundations. This is what makes both of our countries strong. And a strong Bangladesh is crucial for the stability of the Indo-Pacific region,” Bernicat said.
“We are also concerned by reports of police harassment and arrests of opposition polling agents and politicians in the weeks leading up to the elections,” she said.
Bernicat said, “The government of Bangladesh has committed to hold free, fair, participatory and credible elections that reflect the will of Bangladesh people.”
“We look to the government to fulfil this commitment,” she said.
The Trump administration has been highlighting the new Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US administration since the beginning.
To them, it means a region stretching from the US West Coast through the Bay of Bengal. This region represents more than half the global population and more than half of the global economy.
The US is one of the leading trading partners for the region and is also a major donor and investor, both through its private sector companies and through its role as the largest or co-largest individual shareholder in both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
From a security standpoint, the Indo-Pacific is the region in which the US has its longest maritime border, several long-standing treaty allies, as well as being home to its Pacific fleet, one of the most advanced naval units in the world that has conducted countless joint exercises with like-minded countries and training for nearly every military in the region, including Bangladesh.
The US administration has been expressing its concern about Bangladesh’s elections since Jan 5, 2014 when the last parliamentary election was held amid a boycott by the opposition BNP. That resulted in the ruling Awami League winning uncontested in 154 seats. The US did not find that election credible.
Bernicat highlighted Bangladesh’s development and economic progress, but said there is still much to be done.
“Bangladesh needs a democratic environment that fosters tolerance, promotes human rights and supports a democratic process that allows all citizens to have a strong, peaceful voice in their own future.”
“Freedom of expression, vibrant media and the right to peaceful assembly, including demonstrations, and free, fair, participatory and credible elections are vital for continuous and stable growth for Bangladesh,” she said.
“There’s no trade-off between the two.”
The US’s task is to help Bangladesh sustain its momentum and its impressive development trajectory, Bernicat said.
She also said the US has partnered with Bangladesh to promote peace and stability in the region.
