The US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has said the media in Bangladesh may also be listed in the newly implemented US visa restrictions policy along with the ruling party, opposition parties and law enforcement agencies.
He said this in an exclusive interview with Channel 24 at its office on Sunday.
“Visa restriction will be applied against anyone who obstructs the election - government party, opposition party, members of law enforcement agencies, members of the judiciary or media persons,” said the US envoy.
He said that this visa restriction will be applied for the sake of fair elections.
However, he did not say anything about how many people have been included in the list.
"It's not the numbers, the message matters here," said Peter Haas.
“We are doing this for the sake of fair elections,” he said.
The envoy also said that the family members of those who will obstruct the democratic process would also be included in the visa restriction list.
He also said: “US visa policy is not interference on any independent country.”
Earlier, the US Department of State said it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
These individuals include members of law enforcement agencies, the ruling party, and the political opposition, the US State Department said in a statement on Friday.
It, however, did not disclose the names of those individuals.
On May 24, the US announced that it would be able to restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.
