US renews pledge to support interim government

The United States has reiterated its support for the interim government of Bangladesh on different issues, including development and counter-terrorism.

Tracey Ann Jacobson, the new charge d’affaires of the US embassy in Bangladesh made the remarks on Monday, bdnews24.com reports citing a press statement from the Chief Advisor’s Office.

“We are prepared as a nation to support your government on a variety of issues,” Jacobson told Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus as she called on the head of the interim government at the State Guest House Jamuna.

The chief advisor spoke about the ongoing reform initiatives in Bangladesh, the government's efforts to build a political consensus on the July proclamation and the plan for the next general election.

Regarding the July proclamation, Yunus said that he was expecting the political parties to reach a consensus by early February.

“So far I have not heard any dissenting voices,” said the chief advisor, calling the political exercise to build the consensus on the issue a “tough” one and adding that the theme of the proposed proclamation is “unity.”

He said the government would only play the role of a facilitator. "My job is building a consensus. I am not pushing any idea,” he said.

Yunus said once the political parties agreed to the reform proposals, the government would request them to sign it to create a July Charter.

“We don't know whether the contents will contain many items or a few items,” he told the US diplomat.

The US chargé d’affaires raised concerns over the arrests of journalists and reports of violence against religious minorities. The chief advisor said his government was committed to ensuring justice for everyone in the country.

During the hour-long meeting, the chief advisor and the US chargé d’affaires also discussed Dhaka's ties with its neighbours, progress on resolving the Rohingya crisis, and the security situation in Myanmar.

Yunus said Bangladesh values its relationship with all neighbours.

“That’s how the idea of SAARC came about, and we are the initiator of it,” he said, highlighting his recent moves to revive SAARC and transform it into a platform like the European Union.

He thanked the US for providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and sought the country's support for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and creating a safe zone for the displaced people in Myanmar‘s Rakhine State.

He also mentioned that Bangladesh is a top importer of US cotton and urged the country to import more apparel and textiles, which would mean a greater import of US cotton.

Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary to SDG affairs, was also present on the occasion.