Opposition welcomes U.S. visa policy as Sheikh Hasina faces a tough American challenge in election year

Election-bound Bangladesh’s chief Opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has welcomed the latest U.S. announcement to deny American visa for those individuals who may place a hurdle in conducting free and fair poll in the country.

Election-bound Bangladesh’s chief Opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has welcomed the latest U.S. announcement to deny American visa for those individuals who may place a hurdle in conducting free and fair poll in the country.

Speaking to reporters, a leading member of the BNP has said the Joe Biden administration’s country-specific announcement has highlighted the condition of democracy in Bangladesh. The unprecedented American move has once again brought to the centre stage the Sheikh Hasina government’s complicated relation with Washington DC.

“We welcome the decision of the U.S. as it was made considering the concern of the people of Bangladesh over the next general election. I think this step will at least play a supporting role in holding the next polls in a fair and credible manner,” said Amir Khasru, Chairman of the BNP’s foreign affairs committee.

The ruling Awami League has pointed out that the policy is not new and that London-based BNP leader Tareque Rahman was the first to be denied U.S. visa back in 2007. The sting in the U.S. announcement stems from the fact that Secretary of State Antony Blinken personally stated that the decision was communicated to the Hasina government on May 3. Ms. Hasina was on a three-nation fortnight long tour from April 25 to May 9 and Mr. Blinken’s announcement revealed that the Bangladeshi side was informed of the move even when Ms. Hasina was on the American soil where she had gone to mark half century of Bangladesh-World Bank partnership. In a special gesture, Dhaka had announced an Indo-Pacific Outlook ahead of her visit but Mr. Blinken’s announcement proves that document did not have the desired effect on the Biden administration.

The blow of the U.S. announcement was softened subsequently by two comments made by the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu that highlighted that the denial of visa for people involved in electoral rigging was basically a step to assist the Hasina government in achieving her goal of holding free and fair election. Speaking to senior journalist Zillur Rahman of ‘Tritiyo Matra’, Donald Lu said it was necessary to defend democracy in Bangladesh adding, “If we were to find that members of the Opposition had been involved in violence to undermine elections or voter intimidation, that individual would not be allowed to get a U.S. visa. Similarly, if we were to find that a member of government or law enforcement was involved in voter intimidation or violence or denial of free speech, we would not allow that person to travel to the United States.” In response, Deputy Foreign Minister Shahriar Alam said Dhaka would not be “bothered” by the decision.

The apparently anti-Awami League decision from the Biden government however was not a bolt from the blue as the U.S. had been upping the ante regarding the election process for nearly a year. Last June, U.S. ambassador Peter Haas in a rare move visited the Election Commission of Bangladesh bolstering those who had been pointing out democratic backsliding in Bangladesh. Mr. Haas subsequently made several comments alongside other Western diplomats seeking free and fair election in Bangladesh. In this backdrop Ms. Hasina lashed out at the U.S. in April in the course of a debate about her government’s actions against leading news daily Prothom Alo. “America can change power in any country it wants. They want to bring such a party to power in Bangladesh that does not have any democratic existence,” said Ms. Hasina without mentioning the name of the political party. Apart from that, Ms. Hasina’s international policy especially on the Ukraine crisis has maintained a neutral line. Addressing the Qatar Economic Forum, Ms. Hasina reached out to Qatar to meet Bangladesh’s energy requirement and said she favoured purchase of “fuel” at a “comfortable” price. One of the major projects under her government that is likely to be completed soon is the nuclear power plant in Rooppur that is being built by Russia.

The Awami League which has packaged itself as the inheritor of the spirit of the Liberation War of 1971 has also in the past reminded that Bangladesh attained independence in spite of vehement opposition from the U.S. government that had sent the Seventh Fleet to stop the Indian war efforts to free East Pakistan. Reports emanating from Dhaka in the last 24 hours indicate that there is a palpable sense of unease over the announcement of visa denial but there are also signs that that Dhaka has been open to do business with Washington DC especially in the fields of energy and investment. However, there are no indications that Dhaka will relent on Washington’s reported desire to open a naval base at the St. Martin’s island near Chittagong.