US condemns relentless violence in Bangladesh

Washington: The US has said that violence in poll-bound Bangladesh is not acceptable, saying parties should intensify efforts to engage in constructive dialogue to hold free and fair elections on January 5. “We believe it is more urgent than ever for the major parties to redouble their efforts to engage in constructive dialogue to find a way forward to holding free and fair elections that are credible and reflecting the will of the Bangladeshi people,” the State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Marie Harf, told reporters yesterday. [caption id=“attachment_1315915” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters.[/caption] Yesterday, a tight security blanket was thrown over Dhaka for a second consecutive day and transport services were halted to thwart anti-government activists from entering the city. “Violence is not acceptable for a number of reasons, but in part, because it subverts the democratic process and we have called on it to stop immediately. That’s certainly our position; we know there’s a lot of work still to be done there, but hopefully, we can see some progress soon,” Harf said. The United States is disappointed that the major political parties have not yet reached a consensus on a way to hold free, fair and credible elections, she said. “We are prepared to re-engage our efforts, and particularly, our observation efforts, at a later time, if there’s a more conducive environment. But we are disappointed that so far, they haven’t done so,” she added. PTI