US says it takes incidents of violence in Bangladesh very seriously, stresses importance of dialogue

The United States has said it is "closely monitoring" the electoral environment in Bangladesh leading up to January’s national election, and they take incidents of violence "very seriously".

At a regular briefing at the US Department of State on Tuesday, Spokesperson Matthew Miller said they are engaging and will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people, and to ensure free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner.

"We do believe that dialogue is important to achieving those goals," he said.

Miller said holding of free and fair elections is the responsibility of everyone - all political parties, voters, government, civil society, and the media.

"And what we want in Bangladesh is the same thing the Bangladeshi people want, which are free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner," the US State Department spokesperson said.