Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel has stated that "broadly, the U.S. supports the principle of free and fair elections in Bangladesh and around the world, but I'm not here to endorse one political candidate or party versus another" while reiterating that anyone violating human rights should be held accountable.
He was addressing in Washington during a routine briefing.
"It’s our immense hope that the Bangladesh Government does look into the contents of this article and video (DW documentary on RAB)," Patel said.
According to Patel, Bangladesh dropped 10 spots from the previous year's ranking to 162 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index this year.
The Digital Security Act, he claimed, is "one of the world's most draconian laws" for journalists.
The US Embassy in Dhaka shared updates on the briefing today.
