US: Violence not acceptable in Bangladesh

The US States Department said violence is not acceptable in Bangladesh ahead of the next week’s general elections which is facing a threat from the main opposition parties. Marie Harf, Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, told the reporters on Monday. Harf said: “Violence is not acceptable for a number of reasons, but in part, because it subverts the democratic process and we have called on it to stop immediately. That’s certainly our position; we know there’s a lot of work still to be done there, but hopefully, we can see some progress soon.” The United States is disappointed that the major political parties have not yet reached a consensus on a way to hold free, fair and credible elections, she said. “We believe it is more urgent than ever for the major parties to redouble their efforts to engage in constructive dialogue to find a way forward to holding free and fair elections that are credible and reflecting the will of the Bangladeshi people,” Marie told the reporters. She also said: “We are prepared to re-engage our efforts, and particularly, our observation efforts, at a later time, if there’s a more conducive environment. But we are disappointed that so far, they haven’t done so.”