US responds to Russian accusation of interference in Bangladesh’s affairs

The US State Department has responded to Russian accusations of interfering in Bangladesh's internal affairs, saying that it was a "deliberate mischaracterisation of US foreign policy and Ambassador Peter Haas's meetings".

On November 22, Russian foreign ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova in her weekly briefing said information had come to light regarding a meeting between US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and a high-ranking representative of the local opposition at the end of October.

"The United States does not support any political party in Bangladesh. Nor does the United States favour one political party over another," the US embassy in Dhaka communicated the State Department's response on the matter through a WhatsApp group today.

"We want what the Bangladeshi people themselves want: free and fair elections, which are conducted in a peaceful manner."

It said to support that shared goal, US embassy personnel engage and will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, and other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of the Bangladeshi people.

Earlier, a Facebook post of the Russian Embassy in Dhaka carried Zakharova's November 22  statement, which said, "They [participants in Haas's meeting] reportedly discussed plans to organise mass anti-government protests in the country during the meeting. In particular, the American ambassador promised his interlocutor to provide information support in the event that the authorities used force against participants in 'peaceful demonstrations'," according to Zakharova said these assurances were purportedly made on behalf of the embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia and several other countries.

"How can these actions of the American ambassador to Bangladesh be regarded? They can be seen as nothing less than gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state on the part of Washington and its satellites, demonstrating open disregard for the norms and rules enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

Zakharova said they have no doubts regarding the ability of the Bangladeshi authorities to hold the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 7, 2024, in full compliance with national legislation, independently, without the help of overseas well-wishers.