US engaging with govt, opposition, civil society, other stakeholders before polls: State Dept
US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US continues to closely monitor the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to the January election, and it takes any incidents of violence "incredibly seriously"
The United States is engaging with the government, opposition leaders, civil society, and other stakeholders in Bangladesh to urge them to work together, US State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
During a press briefing in Washington on Monday (6 November) night, he also said the US continues to closely monitor the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to the January election, and it takes any incidents of violence "incredibly seriously."
"The US does not support any political party in Bangladesh. We don't favour any one political party over the other," Patel said.
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"Right now, our focus continues to be closely monitoring the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to January's election, engaging appropriately with the government, with opposition leaders, with civil society, and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people," he added.
Patel made these comments when the topic of the BNP's countrywide blockades and political violence in Bangladesh ahead of the national polls was raised during the US State Department's press briefing.
Responding to a question, the principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State said, they have an "incredibly talented" team at the embassy in Dhaka, led by an experienced ambassador who is well-versed not just working in Bangladesh, but also in the broader region.
Earlier on 8 October, a joint International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) mission arrived in Dhaka.
From 8 to 12 October, the six-member mission held meetings with a diverse group of election stakeholders, including government officials, political party leaders, election authorities, civil society, and others, with a view to assessing the pre-election situation in Bangladesh.
During its meeting with the Election Commission on 10 October, the mission stressed holding of free, fair, participatory, and peaceful polls in Bangladesh.
