The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Bangladesh counterpart Dr. A K Abdul Momen had a formal talk in Washington, DC on April 10, 2023. Bangladesh’s crucial next election, due in a few months, was believed to be the main topic. In his opening remarks, Secretary Blinken said that the whole world was looking forward to a fair and credible election in Bangladesh. Mr. Momen invoked President Joe Biden’s greeting message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Bangladesh’s 51st independence which ended with a salutary “Joy Bangla”, which Momen wrongly touted to signify the sacrifice of millions of people in 1971 for democracy, freedom, and human rights. To the contrary, while Sheikh Mujibur Rahman completely destroyed these values immediately after the war, his daughter Hasina, after more than two decades, re-started from where her father left.
Other than what is published in the media and official Press Releases at both ends, nothing much is known about the substances of the talks. We may have to wait to know more.
Meanwhile, the Coalition for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) would like to draw the attention of the Biden administration, particularly the State Department, as well as the conscience world community, to a few incidents to demonstrate that the ruling Hasina regime has no intention to slow down its repression on democracy and freedom and violations of human rights, despite an optimism expressed by Assistant Secretary Donald Lu in Dhaka in January this of year.
1.In the face of repeated demands by the UN and other rights groups against Bangladesh’s draconian Digital Security Act (DSA), the country’s Law Minister Anisul Huq and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud categorically dismissed any possibility of repeal or suspension of the Act.
2. Prothom Alo, a hitherto regime-aligned news publication, came under DSA attacks when it exposed some wrongdoings. (Please see Statement Against Continued Persecution of Journalists Under The Digital Security Act In Bangladesh | ChrdBangladesh and Statement Against Continued Persecution Under Digital Security Act In Bangladesh | ChrdBangladesh)
3. The DSA continues to be ruthlessly applied against freedom of the people and the journalists. Following Hasina’s scathing attack on Prothom Alo in the parliament on April 10, a loyal sycophant immediately rushed to the Prothom Alo headquarters, attacked its office guards and threatened to torch the office.
4. The US State Department acknowledged, in its briefing on April 10, 2023, that “The Digital Security Act is one of the world’s most draconian laws for journalists”, further saying that Bangladesh dropped to 162 (out of 180 nations) in the World Press Freedom Index because of this Act.
5. “These are signs that this trend will increase before the elections,” says Professor Ali Riaz, a renowned author and political analyst. Dr. Riaz points “at the growing incidence of oppression against the opposition and dissident elements.”
6. On March 29, 2023, Foreign Minister Momen, while talking to journalists, said that American democracy was weak, so they always point fingers at countries like Bangladesh.
7. On April 9, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and an Adviser posted a Facebook status saying, “The US State Department is nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.”
8. On April 10, in a parliamentary speech, Sheikh Hasina balked at the US for its various failures in democracy, human rights and patronization of corrupt leaders, a hint at Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.\
9. On April 11, the Awami League Secretary General and Minister Obaidul Quader said that American “democracy is bleeding,” and that the US not in a position to lecture Bangladesh.
CHRD Bangladesh continues to assert that the Hasina administration is incapable of holding any fair elections. All the past national and local polls under its management were far from fair and credible. The world knows it.
The only way to ensure a semblance of fairness and credibility in the next election is to arrange it under a neutral, non-partisan caretaker government (CTG) with no role from the regime-appointed officials made over the past 15 years.
The fascist regime must be asked to quit and relinquish charge to a CTG urgently.