Bangladesh vows to prevent interference in upcoming elections after US visa curbs

Bangladesh said on Thursday it will take steps to prevent and address any unlawful practices or interference in the conduct of elections, a day after the United States said it will restrict Bangladeshis who undermine elections.
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Concern flared after accusations of vote-rigging and the targeting of the political opposition marred national elections in 2014 and 2018, charges denied by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States was implementing a new policy allowing for the restriction of visas to Bangladeshis who undermine the democratic election process in their country.

“The government apparatus will take necessary measures to prevent and address any unlawful practices or interference … to compromise the smooth and participatory conduct of the elections,” the Bangladesh foreign ministry said in response.
“The electoral process will remain under strict vigilance, including by international observers as accredited by the Election Commission,” it added in a statement.
The commission retains the ability to perform its functions in full independence, credibility and efficiency, the ministry said.
Hasina, who has kept tight control of the South Asian nation since coming to power in 2009, has been accused of human rights violations, obliteration of press freedom, suppression of dissent and the jailing of critics, including many supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The BNP has been calling for Hasina to step down and for the next election, due in January 2024, to be held under a neutral caretaker government, a demand her government has rejected.
“This new visa policy proves once again that the international community is certain that a free and fair election is not possible under this government,” said a senior BNP leader, Zaheeruddin Swapan.

“The government must resign and elections must be held under a neutral caretaker government.”
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