BNP welcomes new US visa policy, demands polls-time neutral govt

BNP welcomes new US visa policy, demands polls-time neutral govt

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said that the new visa policy of the United States targeting Bangladesh’s next national elections reflected the people’s long-standing demand for restoration of voting rights.

The BNP leader, in a statement in the early hours of Friday, also said that the main theme of the US visa policy was to ensure all the process for arranging the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh in a free, fair, participatory and acceptable manner.

At the same time, the BNP leader said that the stance taken by the US government against any move to rig votes, intimidate voters, violently suppress the people’s freedom of peaceful assembly and exercise of their rights is a clear echo of the long-standing demand of the people of Bangladesh for a free and fair election.

‘BNP thinks the changed US policy has clearly reflected the long-standing demand of the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh, including BNP, for ensuring people’s right to franchise,’ he observed.

The BNP leader said that they clearly observed that not only the law enforcement agencies, including the police, were brought under the new US visa policy but also the judiciary, administration, security-related government employees, former and current government officials and political leaders who, directly or indirectly, can disrupt the electoral system. ‘Their family members are also brought under the preview of the of the visa policy.’

Fakhrul said BNP believes that free and fair elections will not be possible under the current fascist government.

‘That is possible only under a non-partisan and impartial caretaker government. For that reason, BNP along with all the democratic parties and forces of the country is carrying out systematic and peaceful political programmes to realise the demand for a non-partisan and neutral polls-time caretaker government,’ he said.

The BNP leader demanded the current ‘unelected fascist’ government resign immediately dissolving the parliament.

‘Arranging a free and fair election by establishing a polls-time non-partisan neutral government is the demand and expectation of the country’s people and international community. This is the only way to get rid of the ongoing political, economic, social and national crisis,’ he said.

Fakhrul also called upon the people of the country to remain firm and determined in realising the demand.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US secretary of state Antony Blinken announced a new visa policy to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections, restricting visa for any Bangladeshi individual undermining the democratic election process.