Photo : Collected
Although the US State Department in its latest announcement has not revealed the names of the individuals from Bangladesh to face visa restrictions, the announcement still stands as a cause for concern since it is ‘not a pleasing experience’ at all.
Reports in local media on Saturday read US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller on Friday said that his country is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshis. He said the US visa restriction included current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of opposition and ruling political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services.
These persons and members of their immediate family may be found ineligible for entry into the United States, he said, adding that additional persons found to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh might also be treated ineligible for US visas in future.
“Our actions today reflect the continued commitment of the United States to supporting Bangladesh’s goal of peacefully holding free and fair national elections, and to support those seeking to advance democracy globally,” the US official reiterated.
However, analysts and conscious quarters are of the view that such strict measures are embarrassing for any independent and sovereign state.
Although there are other countries that came under visa sanctions previously, those were slapped usually after their national elections, not before. But in case of Bangladesh, the visa restrictions have been imposed months before the scheduled parliamentary polls, which raises eyebrows.
Like almost all other issues of wider political debates, the country’s political parties from both the ruling and opposition camps have indulged in fierce debates in this particular case of concern too.
The country’s main opposition BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) has termed US visa restrictions a disgrace for Bangladesh and said that neither BNP nor any other opposition party bears responsibility for this situation, rather the government is solely accountable.
The ruling Awami League (AL), on the other hand, said the US visa restrictions and prohibitions only serve those who seek to obstruct and question the electoral process – the true essence of democracy lies in ensuring unrestricted, impartial, and fair elections.
On Saturday, AL General Secretary and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader said, "The AL doesn't care about the visa restrictions policy of the US against Bangladeshis."
Another AL leader and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the US visa policy is an internal matter of that country. "The decision to grant visas is solely up to the country. The US government did not issue any statement regarding anyone in particular."
According to him, “To whom USA will issue visa or not is completely the decision of that country and Bangladesh has nothing to do with the matter.”
He also said, "They have said that the visa policy may be enforced against those who obstruct fair elections or attempt to manipulate the upcoming election."
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said that his government expected that the US government would implement the new visa restriction policy after properly reviewing facts and figures in a fair way.
He said the incumbent government believed that members of BNP-Jamaat appeared more vulnerable to the US visa restriction as they, what he said, were involved in acts to foil the next election.
On the other hand, he said, the AL government remained committed towards holding a free, fair and violence-free election under the existing constitutional provisions.
“We have nothing to lose, we are not worried about it because we are not doing anything wrong,” the junior minister told reporters during a Friday briefing at his Gulshan residence hours after the US State Department came up with the latest announcement.
He also said, “If it appears that we are facing troubles in carrying out our (government) works for imposition of visa restriction on any particular individual, Dhaka will discuss such kind of cases with Washington.”
The state minister, however, termed the development ‘not a pleasing experience’ but added ‘we have to go through it.’
He said that Washington gave Dhaka an idea as to how many individuals came under its visa restrictions and ‘what I can tell you that the number is small.’
He also said the US has informed Bangladesh regarding their decision under the new policy, which the US side said, was aimed at supporting Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections.
One of the key figures of ruling AL-led 14-party alliance, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon has said that the visa policy of the USA is aimed at intimidating the Bangladesh government. “Actually, the United States is trying to intimidate Bangladesh government to force the country to bow down to them and accept its Indo-Pacific policy to ensure their position in the Bay of Bengal.”
Messenger/Nashir/Disha
