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Worried Over Violence

US congressmen urge Hasina, Khaleda for direct talks

Diplomatic Correspondent
Expressing concern over the continued political deadlock and violence, six leading IIS congressmen have urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia to engage in direct negotiations immediately to ensure that the upcoming elections are free, fair and viewed as credible by the Bangladeshi people.
"We are concerned that continued political deadlock and related violence, including violence aimed at Hindus and other minorities, will have a negative impact on the real
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progress that is being made Bangladesh," the congressmen said in a bipartisan letter sent to the prime minister and the BNP chairperson.
Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv J. Shah in another letter to the prime minister yesterday urged to find an agreed way to hold free and fair elections.
"...we strongly urge you to engage in direct negotiations immediately with leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party |BNP| to ensure that the upcoming elections are free, fair and viewed as credible by the Bangladeshi people," the letter requested the prime minister.
The six members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of US House of Representatives in their letter urged the two leaders to carry out the elections in a credible manner through establishing of a mutually acceptable mechanism.
The letters, dated on December 12, were written by Eliot L Engel, Edward R
Royce, Steve Chabot, Joseph Crowley, George Holding and Grace Meng with the same content.
In the letters, they said the United States will work with the future, credibly elected, government of Bangladesh, and urged that future government to exact no retribution on whichever party loses the election.
"... we don't believe election related violence is acceptable or a legitimate part of the democratic process. We urge you to do everything within your power to prevent any and all forms of violence."
They said they do not want to see halt of the country's economic achievements, including a 6 percent annual growth rate, the decline in the poverty rate, and tremendous growth in US-Bangladesh bilateral trade.
At the same time, the letter said, "we fear the potential impact that politically motivated violence and a flawed electoral process will have on this progress."