Washington has underscored a free and fair election on Dec 30 and it will also send observers to monitor the election.
The message was conveyed to Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haq on Monday (Dec 3) when newly-appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller met him at the foreign ministry.
Miller arrived in Dhaka on Nov 18 and presented his credential to President Md Abdul Hamid on Nov 29.
The general election and Rohingya crisis dominated the half-hour-long meeting between the foreign secretary and the envoy. The issue of attack on former US ambassador Marcia Bernicat also came up.
An official said Washington wanted to see a free and fair election and they will send at least 12 teams of observers to the Dec 30 election.
In addition to the observers, the local US mission will form 8-10 teams comprised of diplomats and Bangladeshi staff and they have an intention to visit outside Dhaka, he said.
The request has been already sent to the Election Commission for registration processing, he added.
The US ambassador also expressed his country’s support for Rohingya issue, another official said.
Ambassador Miller will travel to Cox’s Bazaar on Tuesday, to visit the Rohingya camps, he said.
About the attack on Bernicat in Dhaka, Miller wanted to know the investigation progress, he added.
Bernicat’s vehicle came under attack in August at the capital’s Mohammadpur where she went to attend a farewell party.
In her farewell press conference on Oct 30, Bernicat said it was shocking.
The attack like that one is rare, not only in Bangladesh also other parts of the world and it is a shock, she said.
“We will continue to ask for a full investigation and those responsible for the attack being accountable for those attacks.”
My government is still waiting for that report, she said.
“The (Bangladesh) government has issued a formal public apology and number of private apology for which I am grateful. But again, how did that happen, how did it happen in front of uniformed policemen and how to prevent from happening it again not just to an ambassador but to anyone.”