Twenty-two US senators and Congress members have written to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern over the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, reports BBC Bangla.
They sent a bipartisan letter to the Secretary of State, expressing alarm at the “declining state of democracy and human rights” in Bangladesh.
The United States must condemn all acts of violence, ensure critical civil liberties, such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, are protected, and take action to hold complicit government officials accountable for the above abuses against the Bangladeshi people, they wrote.
“Given these alarming and continuing trends, we hope that you will lead the U.S. Department of State in upholding the shared democratic principles that have long underpinned the US-Bangladeshi relationship,” the letter reads.
Moreover, in order to prevent further deterioration of democracy in Bangladesh, the United States must partner with the international community to support the right of the Bangladeshi people to a representative democratic government that upholds human rights and respects individual freedoms.