The US will continue to express concerns on the fundamental human rights issues in Bangladesh including the freedom of the press and freedom of association and urge the government to uphold those, said a senior US State Department official.
Robert S Gilchrist, senior official in the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, made the comment earlier today in response to a question in which a reporter asked what the US would do to prevent the human rights violations happening in Bangladesh.
He was speaking to the media at the launch of the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
“Ensuring anything can be challenging. I hope with the human rights report shining on specific issues, specific human rights concerns will help facilitate change in the government regimes in a positive direction,” he said.
Gilchrist said the US in May 2023 announced a visa restriction policy and it was implemented before the elections in Bangladesh with the hope to deter actions that undermine the democratic electoral process.
He mentioned that there was nothing new this time and that the US also does not provide any preview of visa policy.
“We have repeatedly expressed concerns about the efforts by the [Bangladeshi] government to suppress the freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of association and other fundamental human rights issues and will continue to express concerns,” he added.
