Washington D.C., December 2024 – The United States has reaffirmed its call for respecting press freedom in Bangladesh and said that cases against journalists there should follow the rule of law.
“We believe media freedoms should be respected, and cases against journalists should follow the rule of law,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a recent press briefing at the State Department in Washington D.C.
His comment came when a Bangladeshi journalist raised a question, expressing concern about press freedom in Bangladesh, particularly the imprisonment of over 30 journalists for more than 60 days without bail.
The same journalist also raised the issue about a controversial social media post by an influential advisor of interim government chief Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The post suggested Bangladesh should annex parts of India, including West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.
On the issue, Miller said, “I wasn’t aware of that comment. I don’t know anything about it other than what you’ve read to me … I’ll decline to comment without seeing it in its full context.”
He, however, did not comment on reports of a ban on speeches by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The State Department spokesperson was also asked about imposition of visa restrictions by China on U.S. officials after Washington slapped similar ban on Chinese individuals.
Miller said he wasn’t aware of specific details but made it clear that these actions would not stop the U.S. from holding China accountable for its actions.