US to restrict issuing visas to Bangladeshis that undermine free elections

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA): The US has announced a new visa policy with a provision to restrict issuing visas to any Bangladeshi citizen believed to be involved in undermining free and peaceful elections.

The new visa policy can restrict anyone, including current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services.

The US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu in a live interview with a Bangladeshi TV channel — also released in text version by the US Embassy in Dhaka website early Thursday — clarified that the government and the opposition both will come under the new US visa restrictions if they do anything to undermine democracy or the national election to be held in January next year.

Bangladesh’s next election is very important to the US, Lu said, adding that these restrictions would apply both to those giving orders and those taking orders.

“For those who are taking orders and who carry out acts of violence, or voter intimidation, or vote rigging, they would be ineligible for a US visa,” he added.

Lu said he was involved in the process of issuing the new visa policy, and conveyed it to the Bangladeshi government.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new visa policy.

“I am announcing a new visa policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) (‘3C’) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections. Under this policy, the United States will be able to restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh,” he said.

The US notified the Bangladeshi government of this decision on May 3 this year, he added.

On Dec. 10, 2021, the US Treasury Department designated Benazir Ahmed — Bangladesh’s former police chief and former head of the anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police — and six officials, under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program, in connection with the extrajudicial killing of 600 people and enforced disappearances.

In response to the new US visa restrictions by the US, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that Bangladesh remains a democratic and politically stable nation with experience of holding a series of elections at national and local levels.

The government attaches importance to freedom of assembly and association for all peaceful and legitimate democratic processes, it added.

“Bangladesh would like to view this announcement in the broader context of its government’s unequivocal commitment to holding free and fair elections at all levels for upholding the country’s democratic process,” the statement also said.