205 citizens concerned over misinterpretation of Haas' statement on visa policy for media
The signatories said, "Due to the one-sided attitude of the government, after two fraudulent elections, there is no prospect of holding a free and fair election even as the date of yet another election approaches."
Two hundred and five eminent citizens of the country have expressed their deep concern, stating that a section continues to create confusion about US Ambassador Peter Haas' statement regarding the application of US visa policy to the media.
"We believe that their misleading statements about the US ambassador's statement are an attempt to protect the authoritarian system, and this act is an obstacle to free, fair, and participatory elections," they stated in a release issued on Thursday.
Earlier, in an interview aired on 24 September, Haas said, "We are applying the policy in a balanced way against anyone regardless of whether they are pro-government, whether they are in the opposition, or whether they are law enforcement, whether they are in the judiciary, whether it's the media."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The signatories on Thursday said, "Due to the one-sided attitude of the government, after two fraudulent elections, there is no prospect of holding a free and fair election even as the date of yet another election approaches."
While describing the US move as undesirable and embarrassing for the country, they said, "US sanctions on law enforcement officials have reduced extrajudicial killings. After the application of the visa policy, the ground of meetings and expressions has expanded dramatically.
"We can see that the policies and actions of the democratic world are playing an effective role in mitigating the repressive policies of this government supported by various regional and international superpowers. It also played a role in improving the situation of human rights and freedom of expression."
The signatories emphasised that the support of democratic people, countries, and organisations worldwide can play an essential and effective role in the ongoing movement of the people of Bangladesh for free, fair, participatory, and peaceful elections.
They lamented that an environment of equal opportunity in the media, crucial for free, fair, and participatory elections, is lacking. "Regrettably, media freedom has been severely curtailed by the government's restrictive policies."
"The group that misinterprets the US visa policy on the media and propagates it as an obstacle to media freedom remained silent, even in the face of the country's media crisis. This silence is likely because many of these individuals benefit from government affiliations and are partners in authoritarian systems.
"We believe that they are making misleading statements to obstruct free, fair, peaceful, and participatory elections," the statement added.
The signatories of the statement include - Jahangirnagar University professor and author Raihan Rhyne, Jahangirnagar University Professor Manas Chowdhury, North South University Professor Helal Mohiuddin, Jyoti Rahman, Australian expatriate and microeconomist; Professor Dr Md Siddiqur Rahman Khan of Dhaka University, Professor Sadrul Amin, Prof Dr Sirajul Islam, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President M Abdullah, its secretary general Nurul Amin Rokon, artist Arup Rahi, South Asian researcher Sultan Mohammad Zakaria, women's rights activist Dilshana Parul, Chittagong University teacher Ar Razi, meteorologist Mustafa Kamal Palash, artist Mustafa Zaman, Jahangirnagar University professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, media analyst Fahmidul Haque, writer and journalist Mahbub Morshed and journalist Shahed Alam.
On 24 May, the US announced the visa policy for Bangladesh and on 22 September, it was declared that steps were taken to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
