US to restrict issuing visas to Bangladeshis that undermine free elections

By SM Najmus Sakib

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 and a democratic process.

The new visa policy can restrict anyone, including current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of pro-government and opposition 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.

Actions that undermine the democratic election process include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people from exercising their right to freedoms of association and peaceful assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society, or the media from disseminating their views, Blinken continued.

Following the fresh restriction from the US, Lu joined the live interview with Zillur Rahman, the host of the interview at Channel i Tritiyo Matra.

Lu said the US did not impose any fresh sanctions on anybody under the new visa policy, and aims to support free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

“Our view is that the defense of democracy is both necessary and essential for Bangladesh to continue to move forward as a leader in South Asia and around the world,” Lu added.

Immediate family members, meaning spouses and children, are subject to these same visa restrictions, he continued, adding that for anyone that we would revoke a visa for, we would inform them promptly.

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.