<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The United States and Bangladesh share a vision to ensure that the Indo-Pacific region is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient, a US spokesperson has said.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"That’s the intent of our Indo-Pacific strategy and that is our position," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during a media briefing in Washington on September 12.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent comment in Dhaka is “not the most self-aware.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We will work with our partners in the region to prevent any attempts to establish a dictate of countries that want to solely pursue their own interests and prescribe to others what they can and cannot do,” Lavrov told reporters while responding to a question during his recent visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I would say with respect to Russia, a country that has invaded two of its neighbors, is prosecuting an aggressive war where it bombs schools and hospitals and apartment buildings on a daily basis, should not be talking about any other country imposing dictates," Miller said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Responding to a question, the spokesperson said journalists play an essential role in any democracy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Their work uncovers corruption, safeguards the public’s right to know information that affects their lives. They need to be able to make the public aware of the issues that they face in their daily lives. They need to ensure accountability for elected officials the way that you all show up and ensure accountability for what I say here every day," he said.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Miller said journalists must be able to do their jobs without fear of harassment, violence, or intimidation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"And we are concerned with the government of Bangladesh’s systematic and pervasive oppression of journalists and media personalities who attempt to hold the government accountable," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>