<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">The US does not want to comment on Bangladesh’s forthcoming national election, noting that it is an “internal, domestic election.”</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I don’t have anything else to get into that beyond as it’s an internal, domestic election,” Deputy Principal Spokesperson at US Department of State Vedant Patel has said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He came up with the remarks when a journalist wanted to know how the US would navigate a situation where, in Bangladesh, another party refuses to participate in a national election and may later claim it to be an “unfair and unjust election.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Patel, however, said, as it relates to elections, US want them to be free and fair and to be reflective of the will of the Bangladeshi people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I will say broadly, though, is that the US and Bangladesh last year celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, and we look forward to continuing to deepen those relationships,” he said at a regular media briefing at the US Department of State on Monday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Patel said that Dhaka and Washington have a number of areas where they have the possibility for immense cooperation and engagement – whether that be climate change, whether that be the economy, addressing the humanitarian crisis, and other things as well. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>