BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government was responsible for the US's imposition of visa restrictions.
"The US has sanctioned Rab and police officers. Now, again [there is] a visa policy ... Why did the country have to be in this situation? This is a matter of shame for us. Sheikh Hasina's government is responsible for this," Fakhrul said at a discussion programme at the National Press Club.
"The visa policy includes journalists, businessmen, government officials, members of law enforcement agencies, judges. Then who is left out?" he asked.
Fakhrul said such visa policies are applied to countries that go against democracy and violate human rights.
"BNP is currently more organised and powerful through the ongoing movement," Fakhrul said, referring to the programmes to realise their demand of holding the national election under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Washington on September 22 said it had begun applying the visa restrictions the US announced on May 24 this year.
It said it imposed visa restrictions on members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition.
On May 24 this year, the US said it would impose visa restrictions on individuals and their immediate family members "if they are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh".
