The United States called upon the interim government of Bangladesh to uphold and to protect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association for all, including dissenting and opposition voices, said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson at the US Department of State, at a regular briefing in Washington on Tuesday.

In a reply to the question about recent action preventing Awami League activists from organizing a political rally in Dhaka on November 10th, Patel said these freedoms are essential elements of any democracy and upholding and protecting these freedoms for all Bangladeshis is necessary to ensure a true democratic future for the country.

Regarding cancellation of press accreditation cards of 184 journalists in Bangladesh, including the bureau chief of Associated Press by the interim government, Patel said he had not seen that report. “Of course, if it’s true, would be unfortunate,” he said, adding that it is their “strong point of view” that an “engaged free press” is vital to covering any situation, including, the situation in Bangladesh. 

“We would encourage and want to ensure that the rights and freedoms of all journalists are being appropriately respected”,  Patel said.