US State Department Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, who is visiting Dhaka, asked to know about the situation after the 12th National Parliament elections. He inquired about this during the discussion with the civil society on Tuesday afternoon.

At that time, when the representative of the civil society told the situation in Bangladesh, Donald Lu expressed concern. In addition, the American official came under criticism from the civil society of Bangladesh for the role of the United States in the Palestine issue and the role of the American government in suppressing the citizens including students and teachers in the universities of their own country.

On the first day of his visit to Dhaka, Donald Lu asked to know about the human rights situation in Bangladesh as well as the economy, labor rights and climate change. Yesterday, he exchanged views with the delegation of civil society at the residence of US Ambassador Peter Haas in Dhaka. The exchange meeting was attended by Mahfuz Anam, Editor of The Daily Star, Kalpana Akhter, Executive Director of Bangladesh Center for Women Workers Solidarity, Noor Khan Liton, Human Rights Activist, Chakma Circle Queen and Human Rights Leader Rani Yan Yan, Environment and Climate Change Movement Organizer Sohanur Rahman and Tarunur Rahman. Organized by Mahmuda Akhter Manisha. Embassy officials were also present.

After the exchange, Mahfuz Anam and Noor Khan Liton avoided the journalists present. However, Sohanur Rahman said that the post-election political situation, human rights, labor rights, economic situation, dealing with the risk of climate change, and the Middle East situation were discussed.

Later, human rights activist Noor Khan told media that the country’s overall issues were discussed. Political and social issues including the current situation of the country were discussed in the tea-chakra.

When asked about labor rights after the meeting, Kalpana Akhtar said that Donald Lu wanted to know about the situation of the cases which were filed during the agitation regarding labor law reform, workers’ wages in the garment industry.

Sources of the meeting said that after the parliamentary elections, Donald Lu wanted to know how freely the exercise of civil and political rights is being carried out in Bangladesh. It is reported by the civil society that the space for the exercise of civil and political rights is gradually shrinking in Bangladesh. At this time, he highlighted the expectations of the US government. Donald Lu said that the United States wanted a free and fair election in Bangladesh. The government is working as per the election. Now why is there a situation like repression or pressure? The United States did not expect this, which is worrying, he said.

Freedom of expression and media freedom and the Digital Security Act (DSA) came up in the meeting. At that time, the representative of the United States expressed the concern of DSA. Apart from this, the issue of stopping the genocide against Palestine in Gaza and the protest in the United States was discussed. He wanted to know the opinion of the civil society on this. Representatives of civil society are quite critical of the role of the United States in the Middle East situation. They also questioned the suppression of protests organized in sympathy with the Palestinians in the United States.

Donald Lu came to Dhaka from Colombo yesterday morning. He was welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:30 am by the Director General of the North America Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khandaker Masudul Alam. He went directly from the airport to the US Embassy at the start of the first day of the three-day visit. At night, he attended a dinner at the invitation of Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F. Rahman.

Donald Lu will visit the EMK Center this morning. From there, he will pay a courtesy call on Environment, Forest and Climate Affairs Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury at the Secretariat. After that, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Have a courtesy call on Hasan Mahmud. From there, Donald Lu will hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Masood Bin Momen at the State Guest House Padma. He is scheduled to leave Dhaka tonight.