US, Russia trade heated words over Bangladesh polls

Russia has stated that it has no doubts regarding the ability of the Bangladeshi authorities to hold the parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, it has also spoken up against the alleged US interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh.

Such issues came up in the weekly briefing from Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on November 22, released as a post on the verified Facebook page of the Embassy of Russia in Bangladesh on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the US has said it is aware of Maria Zakharova's "deliberate mischaracterization" of US foreign policy and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas' meetings.

Referring to an alleged meeting at the end of October between US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and a high-ranking representative of the local opposition, Zakharova said, "The American Ambassador promised his interlocutor to provide information support in the event that the authorities used force against participants in 'peaceful demonstrations.'"

She added, "How can these actions of the American Ambassador to Bangladesh be regarded? They can be seen as nothing less than gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state on the part of Washington and its satellites, demonstrating open disregard for the norms and rules enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

The Spokeswoman said, "On our part, we have no doubts regarding the ability of the Bangladeshi authorities to hold the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 7, 2024, in full compliance with national legislation, independently, without the help of overseas well-wishers."

On the other hand, the US State Department reiterated that they want what the Bangladeshi people want: free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner.

“The United States does not support any political party in Bangladesh. Nor does the United States favor one political party over another,” a State Department spokesperson said on Saturday.

/KN/