Nothing to lose from visa restrictions: Shahriar Alam
Talking to reporters at his residence Friday (22 September) night, he also said there is no reason to see further sanctions from the US before the next elections as the government has received assurance from the US side adequately.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said the government has nothing to lose and that they are not worried about the visa restrictions issue, as they are doing nothing wrong.
Talking to reporters at his residence Friday (22 September) night, he also said there is no reason to see further sanctions from the US before the next elections as the government has received assurance from the US side adequately.
"Is there any such incident recently?," the state minister asked reporters back as they kept asking about further sanctions.
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Responding to a question, he said it is implied that BNP-Jamaat was referred to as opposition in the US statement, as previous discussions suggest.
The state minister said the opposition has probably changed its strategy as they used to get involved in violence and anarchy ahead of the elections.
He said if the current decision of the US government hampers their routine work, the government will take it up with the US side, but only once they come to know about the persons.
The United States has said it will not release the names or numbers of people in Bangladesh subject to the visa restrictions.
"Visa records are confidential under US law," US Embassy Spokesperson Bryan Schiller told UNB Friday while responding to a question.
But, he said, the US government has looked very closely at incidents since they announced this policy.
"After a careful review of the evidence, we have imposed visa restrictions on members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition," said Bryan Schiller.
In May this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new visa policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) ("3C") of the Immigration and Nationality Act to support Bangladesh's goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections.
Under this policy, the United States will restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
The United States notified the Bangladesh government of this decision on 3 May 2023.
The Department of State on Friday said they are taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
"Our actions today reflect the continued commitment of the United States to supporting Bangladesh's goal of peacefully holding free and fair national elections, and to support those seeking to advance democracy globally," said its Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement.
These individuals include members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition, he said.
"The United States is committed to supporting free and fair elections in Bangladesh that are carried out in a peaceful manner," Miller said.
These persons and members of their immediate family may be found ineligible for entry into the United States.
Additional persons found to have been responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh may also be found ineligible for U.S. visas under this policy in the future, according to US Department of State.
This includes current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of opposition and ruling political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services, Miller said.
