US urges Bangladesh to work with civil society on human rights, democracy

The US today called on the Bangladesh government to engage with civil society on human rights and democracy.

The US embassy in Dhaka made the call after the visiting US delegation held a meeting with civil society leaders in Dhaka this morning.

The delegation — comprising US President’s Special Assistant and National Security Council Senior Director Eileen Laubacher, State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter, and USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer — arrived in Dhaka yesterday for a three-day visit.

This is the first visit of US officials to Bangladesh since the January 7 elections.

Center for Policy Dialogue Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, Center for Governance Studies Executive Director Zillur Rahman, Odhikar’s Adilur Rahman Khan, and Shireen Huq were present at the meeting, among others.

“Civil society plays a vital role in fostering a healthy #democracy and driving positive change,” said the US Embassy in a tweet.

It said the delegation was very pleased to meet with courageous and committed figures in Bangladesh’s civil society to share views on the country’s present state.

“We will continue to engage on democracy and human rights issues, and we call on the government of Bangladesh to do so too.”