Hussain Muhammad Imam
Washington, D.C. – U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday began a press briefing by addressing concerns surrounding Georgia’s recent national elections, citing a range of alleged irregularities. Miller underscored the challenges posed by the ruling party’s policies, including public resource mismanagement, voter intimidation, and vote-buying, urging Georgia’s leaders to reflect on their commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration, a goal supported by over 80% of the Georgian population. The spokesperson warned that further anti-democratic actions by the Georgian government could result in additional consequences from the U.S. Following his remarks on Georgia, Miller fielded questions from various journalists. Dastagir Jahangir, Editor-in-Chief of The Voice, raised questions on recent issues within Bangladesh’s law enforcement recruitment process. Reports have emerged that 252 police sub-inspectors were allegedly excluded from final recruitment, with all Hindu candidates reportedly disqualified. When asked about the State Department’s stance on this incident, Miller expressed that while he had not reviewed the report, the U.S. would oppose any form of religious discrimination in Bangladesh or elsewhere.
Dastagir’s follow-up question addressed potential implications of religious discrimination in Bangladesh’s public sector recruitment and its impact on U.S.-Bangladesh relations, particularly concerning law enforcement and human rights support. Miller refrained from commenting further but reiterated the United States’ commitment to fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and peaceful protest, in Bangladesh regardless of the governing party. Jahangir also questioned the application of Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Act in targeting political activists from the now-banned Chatro League, highlighting concerns about the act’s impact on democratic freedoms. Miller emphasized that the U.S. remains committed to supporting free speech, religious freedom, and political participation in Bangladesh.
In response to additional inquiries regarding Bangladesh’s recent diplomatic meetings with senior U.S. officials, Miller provided no new information, deferring further comments.
The briefing then shifted focus to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Miller refuted claims of U.S. complicity in Israel’s recent retaliatory strike on Iran, confirming that Israel’s response was limited to military targets in response to Iran’s unprecedented ballistic missile offensive, involving 200 missiles. He stressed the U.S. stance supporting Israel’s defensive measures, cautioning Iran against further retaliation to avoid escalation.
Representatives from major media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC, and CNN, engaged in the session, with particular emphasis on the U.S. position regarding the Iran-Israel conflict.