Biswals’ remarks after BanglaNews24.com asks about U.S. stance in case military intervention

Washington, Dec. 4 (nsnewswire) — FOREIGN PRESS CENTER BRIEFING WITH ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS NISHA DESAI BISWAL at Washington Foreign Press Center on Dec. 3.

QUESTION: Yes, good morning honorable Secretary. This is Shehabuddin Kisslu from BanglaNews24.com.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY BISWAL: Hi.
QUESTION: “Recently you have visited Bangladesh that you have already mentioned, and we are expecting some high officials, I mean the top diplomats from UN to visit Bangladesh this week. Would you kindly elevate us the situation in Bangladesh that you observe at the time? And actually what is the main problem for the solution of this continuing political situation in Bangladesh? And mainly, it is now open secret that opposition, along with their ally the Jamaat-e-Islami, through their movement is seeking or expecting kind of military intervention there. If hypothetically, in case of that situation, what is the U.S.’ stand?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BISWAL: “Well, let me just say that my visit to Bangladesh was an important one for me because I see such enormous progress and such enormous future potential in Bangladesh. The economic growth that Bangladesh has experienced over the past decade; the gains that is has made on developments; on the improvements in health, in maternal mortality and child mortality; the drops in fertility rates; the improvements in food security. This is an incredible story of progress that we have seen in Bangladesh, and an incredible potential for the future as we talk about this more integrated region between South and Southeast Asia. And the major challenge in my opinion that stands in the way of Bangladesh realizing that future is if there’s not a political transition that is free, fair, smooth, and acceptable to the Bangladeshi people. We would like to see this country continue to move forward on the path towards development and prosperity.
And the United States and our friends in the international community don’t have a stake in who wins what election. But we would like to see a process that is free, fair, credible, and free from violence. That has been the message that we have underscored. And for that to take place, both of the major political parties need to come together. The solutions are not going to come from the international community. The solutions are there within the people and the institutions and the parties of Bangladesh, and what needs to happen is for that dialogue that allows a compromise to emerge that will allow for elections to take place that the people of Bangladesh can have confidence in and can feel are credible. And that has been our underlying message publicly and privately.”

Source: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov