U.S. team seeks to break heated election standoff in Bangladesh
Ties fraying over Washington threat to sanction officials who block 'free' polls
DHAKA -- A high-level U.S. delegation will head to Bangladesh as a domestic political standoff threatens to upend national polls and with ties unraveling after Washington pledged sanctions against local officials who undermine free elections.
The U.S. delegation, including U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, will be in the capital Dhaka from Tuesday through Friday.
Washington has not given details about their South Asian trip, which also reportedly includes stops in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. But it is likely to include talks with officials across the political aisle about breaking the election impasse and bilateral issues..
Some critics, however, argue that the U.S. pressing Bangladesh on democracy has more to do with gaining leverage in business and trade deals and countering rival China's growing influence in the country. Washington, they say, has done little to push for free elections in Pakistan which is mired in its own political crisis as ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan called for open polls amid mass arrests of his supporters by the military-backed government.
"The U.S. approach to Bangladesh needs to be changed," said Delwar Hossain, a professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka. "In the case of Pakistan's political instability, the U.S. is silent while in Bangladesh's case they are highly active."
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