US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said that the future of Bangladesh is going to be decided by its people.
Her remarks came in response to a journalist’s question during a press briefing in Washington on Monday.
The journalist had asked for comments on reports of “Islamist extremism” in Bangladesh under the Yunus-led regime, and about protesters openly displaying Osama bin Laden's images while targeting American brands like KFC and Coca-Cola with antisemitic rhetoric.
In response, Tammy Bruce said, “Bangladesh is a country with certain issues. They are also a country that we’ve talked about often, certainly with the questions from the crew here. So, for a specific dynamic, I’m going to have us take that away.”
She continued, “What I do have is something I want to mention regarding Bangladesh, which is that there’s been an arrest of a UK MP, Tulip Siddiq. The – this is from the Bangladeshi courts have issued that arrest. It is, of course – things – all of this and what you’re discussing, even protests, et cetera, are a matter for the Bangladesh authorities to handle, and of course talking with them matters a great deal as well.”
Bruce emphasised the importance of democratic processes, saying, “So ultimately, the future of Bangladesh is going to be decided by the Bangladeshi people. They’re facing what you’ve been describing for some – and in others that, of course, we’ve seen the reports as well. And elections matter. I don’t want to sound it trite here, but it’s true. Democracy matters, and actions by people matter to confront issues that might in fact, as we’ve seen over the last 20, 25 years, destroy their lives – it’s pretty clear what the choices are for many nations on this planet.”