Visa restrictions: Voters not thinking of going to US, Momen tells Al Jazeera
Momen said the government is not bothered by the US visa restrictions on unnamed members of the country’s law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition
Bangladeshi voters are not bothered by the US visa restrictions because they probably are not thinking of going to the US, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told Al Jazeera on Saturday (23 September).
He also said the government is not bothered by the US visa restrictions on unnamed members of the country's law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition "responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh".
"The US is a democracy, so are we," he said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Reiterating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's statement that the government is fully capable of conducting free and fair elections, Momen said, "As a global power, they [US], of course, can exercise power over others but we are not bothered because we know how to hold an acceptable election."
He also said Awami League members are not worried about the visa sanctions as most of them want to stay in this prosperous country [Bangladesh].
Earlier on Friday (22 September), the United States enforced visa restrictions on individuals within the Bangladesh law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition – individuals "responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh".
"These individuals and their immediate family members may be barred from entering the US," said a press statement issued by the US Department of State.
It said the actions reflect the US' continued commitment to supporting Bangladesh's goal of peacefully holding free and fair national elections.
However, the US State Department did not release any names as the visa records are confidential under US law, US Embassy Spokesperson in Bangladesh Bryan Schiller said.
