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Jan 5 polls flawed

Next US ambassador to Bangladesh calls for dialogue

Diplomatic Correspondent
US
Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has
described the January 5 general elections as 'undeniably flawed'.
Giving her testimony before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington DC Thursday afternoon, Bernicat noted the US remained concerned about the recent trends in democracy and rights in Bangladesh.
Bernicat, who is currently a deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Human Resources of the State Department, added that the political parties in Bangladesh urgently needed to engage in a constructive dialogue to ensure a more representative government.
Bernicat was nominated by US President Barack Obama in May to be the next Ambassador to Bangladesh. She will replace Dan W Mozena once the Senate confirms her appointment.
The ambassador-designate said Washington remained gravely concerned about attacks on religious and ethnic minorities, political violence, and extrajudicial killings allegedly committed by security forces.
In this context, she said if she were confirmed as the US envoy to Bangladesh, she would work hard to support efforts to promote accountability and strengthen rights and democracy.
"If confirmed, I'll work with the government, civil society and Bangladeshis from all walks of life to ensure an environment that encourages the broadest and fairest participation."
The US envoy said she would, if confirmed, also "passionately advocate policies that enshrine peaceful democratic values, including respect for human rights and diversity, room for civil society to flourish, space for the free and peaceful discussion of political differences unmarred by violence, and adherence to the rule of law by an independent judiciary".
Referring to the ongoing war crimes trial in Bangladesh, Bernicat said the US supported bringing to justice those who committed atrocities in the 1971 war, but those trials should be fair, transparent and in accordance with international standards.
She further said: "We'll also continue to support the rights of impressive Bangladeshi civil society organisations to operate independently and to express their views openly, recognising that such institutions play an important role in any flourishing democracy.”
Speaking about the Grameen Bank, she said they encouraged the government to ensure the continued effectiveness of the organisation and protect its unique governance structure.
On labour issues in Bangladesh, she said labour rights and workplace safety in Bangladesh remained a top US priority. "We need Bangladeshis to ensure there will be no more heart-rending tragedies like the Rana Plaza building collapse or the Tazreen Fashions factory fire."
With support from the US and other international partners, she said Bangladesh had begun to make progress in transforming its garment sector. "If confirmed, I pledge to you that I will actively further our efforts to strengthen respect for labour rights and to improve workplace safety in Bangladesh, "she noted.
Highlighting Bangladesh's socioeconomic growth, the US envoy said Bangladesh's strategic location between a growing India and a newly opening Burma is well-positioned to play a key role in linking South and Southeast Asia.
She added Bangladesh's growth extended beyond its economy, as the country was on pace to meet many key UN Millennium Development Goals. “It has been a development success story over the past two and a half decades and the United States has been proud to assist Bangladesh in achieving these successes," she said.
Bangladesh was a focus country for three of the president's key development efforts: Global Health, Global Climate Change, and Feed the Future, she observed.
The US had also worked closely with Bangladesh to combat trafficking in persons and mitigate the threat of natural disasters, to which Bangladesh, due to its geography, is particularly prone.
In addition, she said, if confirmed, "I look forward to continuing to advance our cooperation on strengthening security, including on issues of counterterrorism, maritime security, peacekeeping and combating trafficking of drugs and arms."
A career member of the senior foreign service, Bernicat said she served the American people in eight countries across five geographic regions over the past three decades.
"My sons Sumit Nicolaus and Sunil Christopher hail from the subcontinent and have enthusiastically called the world their classroom, as has their father, Olivier Bernicat," she added.