US hopes free, fair, peaceful polls in Bangladesh

Newly-appointed US Ambassador in Dhaka Robert Earl Miller said his country expects the upcoming December 30 elections in Bangladesh would be free, fair and credible as he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We hope free, fair, credible and peaceful national elections will be held in Bangladesh on December 30,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted the envoy as saying during the call on at PM’s Ganabhaban residence this morning, reports BSS.

After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary briefed reporters.

The US ambassador informed the prime minister that his country will send 32 observers to monitor Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections.

“Eleven teams of the US embassy will observe the polls,” he said.

The press secretary said the prime minister briefly described her party’s struggle in restoration of democracy in the country and said that it was only Awami League government which handed over the power peacefully in 2001 in the history of the country.

She said that before the 2014 elections, her government offered some ministries to the opposition to join the polls time government, but instead they resorted to violence, arson and killing people.

In response to opposition parties’ allegations that their election campaign is being attacked, Sheikh Hasina said two of her party-men also died in violence during the current election campaign.

“I have asked my party-men to keep patience in this regard,” she added.

Regarding the Rohingya issue, the US envoy said that the Myanmar should create an environment so that the Rohingyas could return to their homeland safely.

“The USA will continue its support to Bangladesh on Rohingya issue,” he said.

Terming the existing USA-Bangladesh relations as “strong”, Miller said the US wants to extend cooperation further between the two countries in energy and education sectors.

The prime minister sought cooperation from the US ambassador to resume the Dhaka-New York flight.

Sheikh Hasina elaborated her government’s steps for the development of education sector and said the government is distributing free textbooks among the students up to secondary level.

While talking about the country’s economic progress, she said: “If our party is voted to power again, our target is to attain eight percent GDP growth in the next fiscal.”

PM’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hasan were present on the occasion.