The Honorable Donald Lu
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20520
January 8, 2023
Dear Assistant Secretary Lu:
The Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) is greatly delighted to learn that you would soon lead a high-level delegation to Dhaka to discuss, among others, the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. Your vision for a free and prosperous South Asia and the Asia Pacific region is well known. Not only the freedom and democracy loving people in the U.S. and Bangladesh, but also the whole free world will be looking forward to the success of your mission to this humanitarian troubled spot.
Encouraged by the U.S. sanctions more than a year ago, and repeated statements by Ambassador Peter Haas since his arrival in Dhaka in March 2022 about freedom of political activities and fair elections, the opposition parties in Bangladesh resurfaced from their forced subdued state and demanded the immediate ouster of the longstanding illegal fascist regime. They also asked to hold fair and participatory elections, which they had not seen in decades.
When the movement was at the doorstep of success in early December, it was crushed to dust once again, reportedly at India’s direct intervention. The Director General of India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which maintains an extensive network in Bangladesh, quietly jetted to Dhaka on December 7, 2022 and the opposition gathering in Dhaka faced a brutal attack from the fascist forces the next day. The presence of Indian military elements was suspected. Even Ambassador Haas faced attempted assault by the ruling thugs on December 14, thereby raising the questions of threat to his security in the country.
It is well known that India remains a loyal backer of the Hasina regime since it was installed in January 2009. In early December 2022, a high official in New Delhi reaffirmed India’s commitment to helping the continuation of its protege, Sheikh Hasina, in maintaining authoritarian control over Bangladesh. In October 2022, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister publicly admitted that he requested the Modi administration to keep Hasina in power for mutual benefits.
Bilaterally and multilaterally, the U.S. remains the top development partner and market access for Bangladesh, thereby giving it a huge leverage. Notwithstanding the unique position the U.S. commands over the global economy and geopolitics, Washington may suitably utilize its leverages on Dhaka to mend its fascist ways and follow the internationally accepted norms of democracy and governance. In other words, the administration’s principles of democracy, human rights, political freedom and election integrity must not be allowed to be flouted or compromised by evil and anti-people regimes in Bangladesh.
The CHRD Bangladesh strongly feels that the U.S. should reset its engagement with the fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina in view of the latter’s arrogant walkover to the Indo-Sino-Russo camp in retaliation to the U.S. sanctions for its human rights violations. The premise for the Liberation War of 1971 which gave rise to an independent and sovereign Bangladesh has been decimated by a regime which has committed atrocious human rights abuses in the form of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of innocent Bangladeshis. There is no civic space for peaceful assembly, no room for democratic discussions, no possibility of any opposition parties and activists to even speak.
CHRD Bangladesh strongly urges the Biden administration to help the people of Bangladesh finally live in a free and democratic society, one in which their basic constitutional rights are respected and upheld.
*The Coalition for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) is a nonprofit organization registered and based in the United States. (https://chrdbangladesh.org/)
January 9, 2023
