The United States has said it will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of Bangladeshis, to ensure “free and fair” elections conducted in a peaceful manner. “We do not take a position in favor of one party or the other. We want what the Bangladeshi people themselves want: free and fair elections which are conducted in a peaceful matter,” Spokesperson at the US Department of State Mathew Miller told reporters in a regular media briefing in Washington on November 20. Read: No political issues on agenda for foreign secretary's meeting with Indian counterpart: Momen The US State Department spokesperson again mentioned the attempt to draw him into Bangladesh’s internal issues, and reiterated that he is going to continue to refrain from doing so. “So I appreciate the urge – the repeated urge, I should say – to try and draw me into internal Bangladeshi matters, but I am going to continue to refrain from doing so and just state, as I said before, that our goal for the election in Bangladesh is what it has always been: free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner,” he added. Miller also said the US Secretary of State outlined how they engage with governments, workers, labor organizations, trade unions, civil society, and the private sector around the world to protect and promote respect for internationally recognized labor rights. Read: US to hold accountable those who threaten, intimidate, attack union leaders, labour rights defenders, labour orgs “We will continue to do that in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world,” he said. “We condemn the recent violence against workers in Bangladesh protesting over the minimum wage, as well as the criminalization of legitimate worker and trade union activities,” Miller said. He said they are also “concerned” about the ongoing repression of workers and trade unions. “Our principle, as we have stated before, is that government must ensure that workers are able to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining without fear of violence, reprisal, or intimidation,” Miller said. Read: It's up to Bangladeshis, their democratic system, says India about polls Through their work in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world, the US State Department spokesperson said they are firmly committed to advancing those fundamental human rights.

The United States has announced visa restrictions on Chinese officials for their alleged involvement in “forcible assimilation of more than one million Tibetan children” in government-run boarding schools. The US state department made the announcement on Tuesday without providing any details or naming any officials. Also read: China says PM Hasina's remarks against sanctions reflect a ‘large part of int'l community's mind’ “These coercive policies (forcible assimilation) seek to eliminate Tibet’s distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions among younger generations of Tibetans,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Also read: BRICS Summit 2023 unveils potential geopolitical paradigm shift: Modern Diplomacy He urged the Chinese government to cease “repressive assimilation policies”, both in Tibet and other parts of the country. “We will continue to work with our allies and partners to highlight these actions and promote accountability,” Secretary of State Blinken said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's announcement to withhold visas from individuals "responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process" in Bangladesh is hardly conducive to the promotion of this aim, says Professor Emeritus of Strategic Studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, Brahma Chellaney. "If anything, it is likely to prove counterproductive," he wrote in an article published by Nikkei Asia on Monday. Also read: New US visa policy declared targeting next Bangladesh polls Chellaney is a former adviser to India's National Security Council, and has authored nine books, including "Water: Asia's New Battleground". US President Joe Biden’s administration “has made Bangladesh a focus of its democracy promotion efforts by dangling the threat of visa sanctions against officials who undermine free elections while staying silent on the undeclared martial law situation in Pakistan, where mass arrests, disappearances and torture have become political weapons,” writes the professor. Also read: US govt’s new visa policy does not bother Bangladesh government: Shahriar Alam "The short answer is that US promotion of democratic rights has long been selective, with geopolitical considerations often dominant. The pursuit of moral legitimacy for the cause of democracy promotion has also contributed to making sanctions the tool of choice for US policymakers," Prof Chellaney says. In the case of Bangladesh, he thinks, the Biden administration is seeking to leverage two other factors: that close relatives of many Bangladeshi politicians live in the US or Britain, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son who holds an American green card; and that the bulk of Bangladesh's exports go to the West, with the US being the top destination. Also read: Bangladesh expects new US visa policy will not be applied arbitrarily in non-objective manner "In fact, bullying the world's seventh-most populous country, far from helping to promote a free and fair election, is more likely to revive painful memories of how the US looked the other way in 1971 as the Pakistani military brutally resisted Bangladesh's efforts to achieve independence from Islamabad, slaughtering up to 3 million people. What is Washington really after now?" — the professor questions. Bangladesh's impressive growth trajectory stands in stark contrast to the chronic political and economic turmoil seen in Pakistan, which today is teetering on the brink of default. Yet while Bangladesh was excluded from the Summits for Democracy convened in 2021 and earlier this year by Biden, Pakistan was invited both times though it did not attend either, the article reads. Also read: US eyeing enhanced cooperation with Bangladesh in security and trade While continuing to reward Pakistan by prioritizing short-term geopolitical considerations, the Biden administration has been criticizing democratic backsliding in Bangladesh. Blinken's wielding of the “visa-sanctions stick” is clearly aimed at members of PM Hasina's government, including law enforcement and other security officials, although the announcement of the new policy also mentioned members of opposition parties, Prof Chellaney writes. Also read: US consistent on the need for free, fair election in Bangladesh: White House "But sanctioning foreign officials usually serves no more than a symbolic purpose while hampering diplomacy. It can also have unintended consequences," he adds. The professor observed that the new hardline towards Dhaka makes little sense. "The Hasina government could be a significant partner in the US war on terror and in improving Asian security. Instead, bilateral relations are under strain. No one from the Biden administration even met with Hasina when she visited Washington last month for discussions with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund." "While in Singapore this month, (US Defense Secretary Lloyd) Austin declared that America ‘will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion’ from China. But bullying and coercion are also unlikely to advance US interests in Bangladesh," the article reads. Also read: Exaggeration, inconsistency in Congressmen’s letter: Shahriar Alam

The government of Bangladesh has said it expects that the local undemocratic forces that resort to violence, arson and destruction would remain cautious and refrain from their misguided efforts to jeopardize the electoral process as mandated by the Constitution. It is entirely up to the people of Bangladesh to sustain the hard-earned democratic process, political stability and development gains in the country, said the government in a statement. Read more: Nothing to worry about new US visa policy; don't want arson, violence: Momen "The government appreciates that the international community including the US firmly stands by Prime Minister’s sustained commitment to ensure free and fair elections," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (May 25, 2023) while responding to new visa policy announced by the US government. The government apparatus will take necessary measures to prevent and address any unlawful practices or interference by any individual, group or entity to compromise the smooth and participatory conduct of the elections, MoFA said. The electoral process will remain under strict vigilance, including by international observers as accredited by the Election Commission, it said. Read more: New US visa policy declared targeting next Bangladesh polls The government of Bangladesh has taken note of the announcement made by the US Secretary of State on a visa restriction policy pursuant to the so-called 3C provision under the US Immigration and Act. "Bangladesh would like to view this announcement in the broader context of its government’s unequivocal commitment to holding free and fair elections at all levels for upholding the country’s democratic process," MoFA said. Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, Bangladesh remains a democratic and politically stable nation with experience of holding a series of elections at national and local levels, said the government. Read more: New visa policy to be implemented fairly on govt & oppn: Donald Lu Since the general elections in 2008, it is evident that the people of the country experienced unprecedented socio-economic development and empowerment due to continued political stability under the Awami League government. This resulted in the reduction of headcount poverty from 41.5% in 2006 to 18.7% in 2022, and of extreme poverty from 25.1% to 5.6% during the same period. Now an "international role model" for development, Bangladesh has become eligible for graduation from the UN Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2026. These have been achieved due to the Awami League government being elected to office for three consecutive terms over the last fourteen years. The people of Bangladesh are very much conscious of their democratic and voting rights, MoFA said. Read more: US govt’s new visa policy does not bother Bangladesh government: Shahriar Alam There is no precedent for any government to continue in office having usurped people’s mandate through vote rigging, it said. The people’s right to franchise is considered a State sanctity by the Awami League government that has a political legacy of unrelenting struggles and sacrifice for securing that right. The government attaches importance to freedom of assembly and association for all peaceful and legitimate democratic processes. The electoral reform process in Bangladesh continues in a consultative manner involving all concerned stakeholders, MoFA said. As part of the process, photo-based voter ID cards were issued in response to the 10.23 million fraudulent voters enlisted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government. Read more: New visa policy to help PM Hasina's govt in holding fair elections: US The use of transparent ballot boxes has also been made the norm to establish confidence among the electorate as well as the polling officials and agents. The National Election Commission continues to be equipped with the wherewithal to carry out its functions in full independence, credibility and efficiency, MoFA said. The present government took the initiative for the first time to get the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Appointment Act, 2022 enacted by the National Parliament. Pursuant to this law, a new Election Commission has been constituted. Read more: Bangladesh's upcoming national polls will be under AL govt: PM Hasina  As mandated by the Bangladesh Constitution and Representation of the People Order, 1972, the entire executive machinery will remain at the Election Commission’s disposal to assist in the discharge of its responsibilities in a way as it may direct, MoFA said.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said resettlement of a few Rohingyas in the US is not a solution; rather the solution is repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. “…this is not the solution. The key solution is that they will have to return to their homeland. It’s a process,” he told reporters in Cox’s Bazar after attending a programme there. Momen said the United States is taking a few Rohingyas as a follow up to his discussion with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. There has been a list of 62 Rohingyas and 24 of them are being taken to the USA in the first batch, said the Foreign Minister. The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh is requesting big countries to take at least 100,000 Rohingyas each, to share Bangladesh’s burden. “Some of them are going as part of family reunification. They have their relatives there. I think that’s how the list of 62 came. But it is up to them,” Momen said. The Biden administration announced on September 27 that the cap on refugee admissions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 would be 125,000—the same as the cap for FY 2022. Read more: Outgoing Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming hopes Rohingya repatriation will start next year The admission of up to 125,000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest, according to the White House. The admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations – Africa -40,000, East Asia 15,000, Europe and Central Asia 15,000, Latin America/Caribbean 15,000, Near East/South Asia 35,000 and unallocated reserve 5,000. The 5,000 unallocated refugee numbers shall be allocated to regional ceilings, as needed. US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Julieta Valls Noyes, on Tuesday met Foreign Minister Momen and discussed a “comprehensive approach” to the protracted Rohingya crisis with international support. Momen said the Bangladesh government wants a better life for the Rohingyas. Asked about relocation of some Rohingyas in the United States, Momen said it is “just a drop in the ocean”, as Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas. He said the US did not mention any exact number but he hinted the number could be 62 only in the beginning. Read more: US diplomat for ‘comprehensive approach’ to deal with Rohingya crisis “The United States is proud to be able to support resettlement in our country of the very vulnerable Rohingya. This is a priority of President Biden. We are discussing with other governments and with other partners. We will be working together with the international community,” US Assistant Secretary Noyes said, thanking Momen for Bangladesh’s life-saving support for the Rohingyas.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the relations between Bangladesh and the United States will reach new heights in the next 50 years. Secretary Blinken said this in his letter sent to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. He described the celebrations of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the United States as a milestone in the two countries’ growing partnership. The close cooperation between the two countries in protecting people from the scourge of terrorism, human trafficking and illicit drug trafficking is commendable, Blinken said. Highlighting key issues in the Biden administration's foreign policy, Blinken welcomed the continuation of the dialogue on labor rights, religious freedom, human rights and good governance, highlighting key issues in the Biden administration's foreign policy. Also read: Biden sees stronger Dhaka-Washington ties in future The United States and Bangladesh will continue to work closely on strengthening economic ties, investing in development, addressing the challenges of climate change, regional security, peacekeeping operations, and finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis, he mentioned in the letter. Blinken said the United States stood by the people of Bangladesh by providing 61 million doses of Covid vaccine to make the 50th anniversary of the two countries' partnership meaningful. “I look forward to seeing what our people will build together in the decades ahead as we continue to follow that star of freedom,” he said in a video message celebrating five decades of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Secretary Blinken thanked Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Bangladesh Ambassador to the US M Shahidul Islam “for being the latest stewards of this crucial” relationship. The United States recognized Bangladesh on April 4, 1972, in a press statement from Secretary of State William Rogers. Also read: Ties between Bangladeshis, Americans deeper, more intertwined: Secretary Blinken In addition, Herbert Spivack, the principal U.S. officer in Dhaka, delivered a message from President Richard Nixon to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman informing him that the United States government wished to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is arriving in India on Tuesday on a two-day visit, his first trip to the subcontinent after assuming office earlier this year. "Wheels up for my trip to New Delhi and Kuwait City. I look forward to consultations with our partners to further cooperation in support of our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East," Secretary Blinken tweeted moments before boarding a flight from Washington DC. Read: Biden expected to nominate Blinken as secretary of state During his two-day visit, Secretary Blinken is slated to hold talks with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday before departing for Kuwait, according to External Affairs Ministry. On the agenda of the talks between the two sides are the situation in Afghanistan, counter-China efforts, Quad vaccine diplomacy and climate change, UNB has learnt. New Delhi is particularly worried about the implications of the American troops leaving Afghanistan, given the fact that it has so far infused over three billion US dollars worth development aid into that country and the horrific memories of the Taliban's role in the hijacking of an Indian airliner in 1999. "Secretary Blinken's visit is an opportunity to continue the high-level bilateral dialogue and bolster the India-US global strategic partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs said last week, while announcing the visit. "Both sides will review the robust and multifaceted India-US bilateral relations, and potential for consolidating them further," the Ministry added. Read: US Secretary Blinken remembers Xulhaz In March, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India. Apart from holding talks with several senior Indian Ministers and officials, he had called on PM Modi. A month later, US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry came to New Delhi.

A day after Washington announced that Antony J Blinken, the US secretary of state scheduled to arrive for a two-day visit of India on July 27, would raise the issues of human rights and democracy, New Delhi has stated on Sunday said that as a long-standing pluralistic society, India is “open to engaging those who now recognise the value of diversity”, reports The Indian Express.  During his visit, Blinken will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will also meet him. Read:India's Oxygen Express arrives in Bangladesh Sources in the Indian government said that “issues such as human rights and democracy are universal and extend beyond a particular national or cultural perspective”, and that “India is proud of its achievements in both domains and is always glad to share experiences”. “As a long-standing pluralistic society, India is open to engaging those who now recognise the value of diversity,” sources said on Sunday, obliquely underlining the polarised and divided nature of society in the US. On the regional security situation, sources said, “Implications of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and the need for sustained pressure on Pakistan on terror financing and terror havens, will be part of the agenda.” In the defence domain, both sides are expected to explore ways and means to deepen their collaboration. This will cover policy exchanges, exercises, and defence transfers and technologies. These will be covered in greater detail during the fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue due in the US later this year. Sources said that discussions will cover containment of Covid-19 and Covid-19 recovery efforts. “India will press for gradual resumption of international travel, while maintaining health protocols, especially easing mobility of students, professionals, business travellers, family reunions, humanitarian cases.”, a source said. The need for resilient supply chains of critical medicines and healthcare equipment is likely to come up. Sources said that discussions on deepening Quad engagement will be a key focus area of talks, with the possibility of a Foreign Ministerial Quad meeting later this year. The talks will also “take forward Quad vaccine initiative to enable supply of vaccines produced in India from early 2022, to countries in Indo-Pacific region”. Read: Floods & landslides in India kill over 100 The Quad vaccine initiative was earlier scheduled to be launched at the end of 2022, and efforts are now underway to advance it by the end of this year or early next year. The two sides will also exchange assessments about the Indo-Pacific region, with focus on Covid assistance, economic slowdown and security scenario. Latest developments pertaining to West Asia and Central Asia are also likely to be covered, sources said. “Climate change remains an important area of our conversation”, the source said, adding that “particularly potential for green collaborations as well as climate finance and transfer of clean technologies to developing countries”. Sources said that India will also engage with the US on other global issues. Stressing that “political and cultural rebalancing are important trends”, the source said that India supports a truly multipolar, democratic and diverse world order and expects international conversations to reflect this evolution. “We believe in equity and fairness, whether in development, climate change or global decision-making”, the source said. Discussions will also cover working together in the UN, especially with India holding the Presidency of the UN Security Council in August 2021, the source said. This will be Blinken’s first visit to India after assuming charge as the US secretary of state and the third by a high-ranking Biden administration official after it came to power in January, following those of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in March, and Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry in April. Read: India successfully test-fires home-grown anti-tank missile Blinken’s visit reciprocates the visit by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the US in May 2021. The two leaders have also had detailed conversations this year in the UK (at the G7 meeting) and Italy (at the G20 meeting). Sources said that India attaches considerable importance to his visit and looks forward to taking forward the conversation with the US on numerous issues, be it bilateral, regional, addressing Covid or global developments.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his envoy reached out to Palestinian and regional Arab leaders on Tuesday as attacks between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers raged on, maintaining what the Biden administration is calling its quiet diplomacy while still declining to press for an immediate cease-fire. Blinken, speaking during an unrelated trip focusing on Russia and Nordic countries, also defended the U.S. decision to block what would have been a unanimous U.N. Security Council statement on the fighting and its civilian toll, and the overall U.S. approach to the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting since 2014. President Joe Biden, speaking to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, expressed general support for a cease fire but stopped short of joining dozens of Democratic lawmakers in demanding one. “Our goal remains to bring the current cycle of violence to an end” and then return to a process in which a lasting peace can be forged, the U.S. diplomat said. Blinken said he had spoken to the foreign ministers of Morocco and Bahrain, two Arab countries that recently have moved to normalize relations with Israel, while US envoy Hady Amr in Israel spoke with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The ongoing U.S. outreach — reflecting an administration that has emphasized working with allies, and has refrained from publicly criticizing ally Israel — came as new Hamas rockets and Israeli airstrikes continued for a ninth day. At least 213 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel have died. Efforts by Egypt and others to mediate a truce have stalled. Biden’s carefully worded statement expressing general support for a cease-fire, in a White House readout Monday of his second known call to Netanyahu in three days as the attacks pounded on, came with the administration under pressure to respond more forcefully despite its reluctance to challenge Israel’s actions in its part of the fighting. The administration also has expressed its determination to wrench the main U.S. foreign policy focus away from Middle East hotspots and Afghanistan. Biden’s comments on a cease-fire were open-ended and similar to previous administration statements of support in principle for a cease-fire. Biden also “encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians,” the White House said in its readout. An administration official said the decision to express support and not explicitly demand a cease-fire was intentional. While Biden and top aides are concerned about the mounting bloodshed and loss of innocent life, the decision not to demand an immediate halt to hostilities reflects White House determination to support Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations. Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers were meeting Tuesday to discuss how to use the 27-nation bloc’s political clout to help diplomatic efforts to end the fighting between the Israeli armed forces and Palestinian militants. The EU has been united in its calls for a cease-fire and the need for a political solution to end the latest conflict, but the nations are divided over how best to help. Netanyahu told Israeli security officials late Monday that Israel would “continue to strike terror targets” in Gaza “as long as necessary in order to return calm and security to all Israeli citizens.” Separately, the United States, Israel’s top ally, blocked for a third time Monday what would have been a unanimous statement by the 15-nation U.N. Security Council expressing “grave concern” over the intensifying Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the loss of civilian lives. The final U.S. rejection killed the Security Council statement, at least for now. Blinken said the U.S. was “not standing in the way of diplomacy” and that the U.N. statement would not have advanced the goal of ending the violence. “If we thought and if we think that there is something, including at the United Nations that could advance the situation, we would be for it,” Blinken said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki and national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States was focusing instead on “quiet, intensive diplomacy.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday joined dozens of Democratic lawmakers — and one Republican and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders — in calling for the cease-fire by both sides. A prominent Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chairman, pressed the U.S. over the weekend to get more involved. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took the Senate floor on Monday to assail lawmakers for including Israel in their demands for a cease-fire. “To say that both sides, both sides need to de-escalate downplays the responsibility terrorists have for initiating the conflict in the first place and suggests Israelis are not entitled to defend themselves against ongoing rocket barrages,” McConnell said. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., led 19 Republican senators releasing a resolution supporting Israel’s side of the fighting. They plan to try to introduce the legislation next week.

The Biden administration on Thursday hit Myanmar’s junta with new sanctions in response to February’s coup in the Southeast Asian nation. The State and Treasury departments announced they were imposing sanctions on the country’s main, state-owned gem company, Myanmar Gems Enterprise. The sanctions freeze any assets the firm holds in the U.S. or in U.S. jurisdictions and bar American citizens from doing business with it. Also Read: Myanmar death toll mounts amid protests, military crackdown... The company is a major exporter of gems and semi-precious stones like jade, which bring in significant amounts of revenue to government coffers. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions send “a clear signal to the military that the United States will keep increasing pressure on the regime’s revenue streams until it ceases its violence, releases all those unjustly detained, lifts martial law and the nationwide state of emergency, removes telecommunications restrictions, and restores Burma to the path of democracy.” Also Read: Will Myanmar learn its lessons? The U.S. and other Western nations have been steadily ramping up sanctions pressure on Myanmar, also known as Burma, since the Feb. 1 coup and subsequent deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. “The Burmese military regime has ignored the will of the people of Burma to restore the country’s path toward democracy and has continued to commit lethal attacks against protesters in addition to random attacks on bystanders,” Blinken said.