Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has said the parliamentary elections of January 5 were ‘undeniably flawed.’
“Bangladesh’s main political parties urgently need to engage in constructive dialogue that leads to a more representative government,” she said while giving her testimony before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Thursday.
Bernicat, currently deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State, said the United States remains concerned about recent trends in democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.
“If confirmed, I will work hard to support efforts to promote accountability and strengthen human rights and democracy in Bangladesh,” she noted.
She also said the United States supports bringing to justice those who committed atrocities in the 1971 war, but those trials should be fair and transparent, and in accordance with international standards.
“We will also continue to support the right of impressive Bangladeshi civil society organizations to operate independently and to express their views openly, recognizing that such institutions play an important role in any flourishing democracy. We also encourage the government to ensure the continued effectiveness of Grameen Bank and protect its unique governance structure.”
Bernicat was nominated by President Barack Obama in May to be the next US ambassador to Bangladesh.
“It is an honor to be nominated to serve the United States in such a strategically important country, at such a critical time for our bilateral relationship. As the world’s eighth-largest country by population and third-largest Muslim-majority nation, Bangladesh is known for its moderate, secular, pluralistic traditions,” she said.
With an annual economic growth rate of roughly six percent each year, Bangladesh aspires to become a middle income country and is an increasingly important trading partner and destination for U.S. investment, Bernicat added. “It is strategically situated between a growing India and a newly opening Burma, and therefore is well-positioned to play a key role in linking South and Southeast Asia.”
She will replace Dan Mozena, when her appointment is finalized.
BBN/SSR/AD-18July14-3:27 pm (BST)
