US Position on Bangladesh Polls Unchanged: John Kirby

John Kirby, National Security Council strategic communications coordinator at the White House, said the United States' position on the Bangladesh election has not changed.

He said, 'We support free and fair elections. Our position has not changed.'

He said this in response to a reporter's question at a regular briefing at the White House on Wednesday (September 6).

Kirby said, 'We support the democratic institutions of Bangladesh. We support Bangladeshi people. We support free and fair elections. There has been no change in our position.' At the same time, he said that the United States will continue to work to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh.

However, John Kirby avoided the issue when the journalist asked about the report published in the New York Times mentioning that the opposition in Bangladesh, led by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, are being legally harassed.

This special briefing was held at the Foreign Press Center on the occasion of US Vice President Kamala Harris's attendance at the ASEAN Summit and President Joe Biden's participation in the upcoming G-20 Summit.