<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The United States has reiterated its call for holding a free and fair election in Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">“We’ve been consistent on the need for Bangladesh to hold free and fair elections,” said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby at a media briefing at the White House.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kirby made the remarks when his attention was drawn to the much-discussed letter from six congressmen to US President Joe Biden, seeking measures for a free and fair election in Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Look, we’ve been consistent, and I’m aware of the communication,” Kirby said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To demonstrate that commitment, he said, the State Department recently announced a “3C” visa policy that would restrict visas to individuals who “undermine” Bangladesh’s elections.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Monday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said there are many “exaggerations, lack of information and inconsistency” in the letter from the six US congressmen to President Biden.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“But constructively, we will reach out to all these members,” he told reporters while responding to a question, noting that such activities might increase in the coming days as the election nears.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam said they saw such letters in the past, too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Over the last seven days, I tried my best to explain where the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States stands today,” he said, adding that propaganda and misinformation against the government was also there earlier. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>