As the wrangling over the general elections remains muddled, Bangladesh’s friends and development partners including USA and Canada continued to press upon the two
major parties to undertake constructive dialogue to end violence and hold free, fair and credible polls. The US embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday said as the end of the mandate for the current government fast approaches, ‘we believe that it is now more urgent than ever for both
major parties to empower trusted lieutenants to undertake constructive dialogue to find a way forward to hold free and fair elections that are credible in the eyes of
the Bangladeshi people.’
In a statement, the embassy said, ‘We believe that with goodwill, the two parties can still find a way to provide the free, fair and credible elections that the
Bangladeshi people want and deserve.’
The US said assistant secretary Biswal made clear during her visit to Bangladesh that violence is not part of the democratic process, is not acceptable and must stop
immediately. The senseless violence of past days is especially reprehensible as it intentionally targeted innocent people with bombs and by burning them alive in
vehicles.
‘We believe all parties should have space to freely and peacefully express their views. The government bears responsibility to provide such space; the opposition
parties bear responsibility to use such space in a peaceful manner,’ the statement noted.
Canada’s High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Heather Cruden, said, ‘Canada is dismayed by the continued escalation of violence in Bangladesh, which has led to innocent
people being killed and injured.’
She said the use of violence by any political party or group is against the shared Bangladeshi and Canadian values of respect for human rights, democracy and
pluralism. ‘Neither arrests of political leaders nor strikes are conducive to constructive political dialogue,’ Heather observed.
The Canadian envoy said the violence has had disproportionate social and economic effects on the most vulnerable members of Bangladeshi society. ‘We note with dismay
recent attacks on religious communities. The current instability damages the commercial environment, particularly for small businesses, and may have long-term
consequences for the national economy that may not be easily reversed.’
Heather again urged all parties to end the violence and work toward a peaceful resolution of the current situation.
‘It is still possible for all parties and political organisations to find a negotiated solution, if there is political will, to ensure that the upcoming general
election is transparent, inclusive, credible and peaceful,’ she said.
On Monday, Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Shiro Sadoshima in a similar statement expressed his deep grief at ever increasing violence in Bangladesh. He said Japan,
as a long-time friend and important stakeholder of Bangladesh, strongly condemns any kind of violence and destructive activities that seriously affect people’s life
and development of Bangladesh.
-With New Age input
