US interfered in Bangladesh’s internal affairs

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas of grossly interfering in Bangladesh’s internal affairs.

“At the end of October, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas met a member of the local opposition to discuss plans for organising anti-government rallies. Such actions amount to nothing less than gross interference in internal affairs,” she said in a briefing in Moscow.

Russian Embassy in Dhaka posted Zakharova’s statement on its verified Facebook page on Wednesday.

“We have repeatedly highlighted the attempts by the US and its allies to influence the internal political processes in Bangladesh under the guise of ensuring that the upcoming parliamentary elections in the country are ‘transparent and inclusive’,” Zakharova said.

The statement comes when the BNP and Jamaat are enforcing strikes and blockades across the country after the October 28 BNP rally that was mired with clashes.

The US has been calling for holding free, fair, and peaceful elections in Bangladesh. Haas met different political leaders and ministers in recent times.

On November 13, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu sent letters to three political parties — the Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party — urging them to engage in dialogue without conditions amid escalating political tensions.

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