US warns to curb visas for Bangladeshis restricting free elections

The United States announced a new visa policy empowering the authorities to slap restrictions on Bangladeshi citizens suspected of undermining the democratic election process in the South Asian country.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced the policy on Wednesday to "support Bangladesh's goal of holding free, fair and peaceful national elections."

"The holding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone — voters, political parties, the government, the security forces, civil society, and the media. I am announcing this policy to lend our support to all those seeking to advance democracy in Bangladesh," Blinken said in a statement.

The restrictions would include current and former Bangladeshi officials, politicians, members of the law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and security services, according to the statement posted on the website of the US embassy in Dhaka.

It elaborated that actions that undermine the democratic election process include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people from exercising their right to freedoms of assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society or the media from disseminating their views.

The new visa policy was announced ahead of national elections that are due to be held by January next year. It comes after two controversial elections were held in Bangladesh in 2014 and 2018 that were marred by violence and allegations of vote rigging.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party won both elections. One was boycotted by the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party of former prime minister Khaleda Zia in 2014.

Shahriar Alam, junior minister for foreign affairs in Hasina's cabinet, told reporters that the new US visa policy would not trouble the government since Bangladesh is committed to holding credible elections.

In December 2021, the US imposed sanctions on Bangladesh's crime-busting Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and several of its former and current officials for "gross violation of human rights."

The battalion was accused of committing extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearance of political activists.