Distinguished Professor Dr. Ali Riaz has published a commentary in the SouthAsiaSource on the recently announced U.S. visa policy about Bangladesh and its implications for Bangladeshi politics.
South Asia Source is published by the Washington D.C.,-based think tank, Atlantic Council. Riaz argued that the recently announced visa policy supporting democracy restoration and fair election demonstrated the growing geopolitical significance of Bangladesh. In the past year, the U.S. was sending messages to Bangladesh that Hasina government’s policies are detrimental to democratic practices. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared a new visa policy on May 24 to support democracy in Bangladesh. The new policy would restrict visas to Bangladeshi citizens who undermine elections. The policy would affect current or former officials, politicians, members of law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and security services “believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh.”
In the commentary titled What the new U.S. visa policy for Bangladesh means, Riaz said that both domestic and international policies of the Bangladesh government have prompted action. Domestic policies include increasing authoritarian tendencies of the government, growing partisan role of the civil service personnel, and the machination of the ruling party to repeat a flawed election in 2024. Among the international policies, Bangladesh’s growing closeness with China has played a part.
