Violence against, intimidation of media, civil society decried

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met yesterday with Bangladesh’s Minister for Foreign Affairs A.K. Abdul Momen. The Secretary thanked Bangladesh for hosting Rohingya refugees and highlighted the nearly $2.1 billion in U.S. humanitarian assistance since 2017, which includes $23.8 million in new assistance to the World Food Programme to deliver urgent food and nutrition services to Rohingya refugees. He reiterated our commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth, free and fair elections, human and labor rights, and freedom of expression in Bangladesh, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement.

Additionally, Secretary Blinken expressed concerns about violence against and intimidation of the media and civil society, including under the Digital Security Act. He underscored that free and fair elections and respect for human rights in Bangladesh are critical as we seek to deepen our bilateral relationship, the statement said.