‘They are trying to eliminate democracy and introduce a government that will not have a democratic existence,’ the Bangladesh prime minister said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday accused the United States of seeking a regime change in the country, bdnews24 reported.
“They are trying to eliminate democracy and introduce a government that will not have a democratic existence,” Hasina said in Parliament. “It’ll be an undemocratic action.”
In December, several former and current leaders of the Rapid Action Battalion were sanctioned by the United States. The RAB, an elite Bangladesh paramilitary unit, is alleged to have carried out enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings on behalf of the government.
In the same month, American Ambassador Peter Haas had met families of victims of alleged enforced disappearance under Hasina’s rule. This included the family of Sajedul Islam Sumon, a leader from the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
In February, Derek Chollet, the US State Department counselor, had expressed concern about the decline of democracy in Bangladesh. He had warned that this would limit American cooperation with Dhaka and urged Hasina to ensure free and fair elections.
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On Monday, Hasina criticised the United States alleging that Washington does not practice its democratic norms beyond the Atlantic Ocean.
