Zakir Hossain in Dhaka
The United States has stressed the importance of democracy and people’s actions in confronting forces that threaten lives, amid growing international concern over political instability and reported extremism in Bangladesh. “Elections matter. I don’t want to sound trite here, but it’s true. Democracy matters, and actions by people matter to confront issues that might in fact, as we’ve seen over the last 20, 25 years, destroy their lives,” said US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing on Tuesday (April 15).
Responding to a journalist’s question referencing reports—including one from The New York Times—about rising Islamist extremism under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Bruce reiterated, “Ultimately, the future of Bangladesh is going to be decided by the Bangladeshi people.” The journalist cited incidents in Dhaka involving protesters displaying images of Osama bin Laden, Nazi symbols, and calls to boycott American brands like KFC and Coca-Cola, allegedly driven by antisemitic rhetoric.
Bruce acknowledged the concerns but noted, “Bangladesh is a country with certain issues… So for a specific dynamic, I’m going to have us take that away.” She also mentioned, “There’s been an arrest of a UK MP, Tulip Siddiq. This is from the Bangladeshi courts who have issued that arrest.” On the broader unrest, Bruce said, “All of this and what you’re discussing, even protests, et cetera, are a matter for the Bangladesh authorities to handle, and of course talking with them matters a great deal as well.”