US visa threat before B’desh elections: Warning to faltering democracies

In an unusual move, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on May 24, announced a “Visa Policy to Promote Democratic Elections in Bangladesh”. The US would now restrict visas for any Bangladeshi citizen believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in that country. This would include current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of all political parties, law enforcement officers, the judiciary, and security services. The US has clearly put Bangladesh on watch as the country’s next general election, due in January 2024, approaches.
 

The actions undermining the elections have been widely defined to “include vote rigging, voter intimidation, the use of violence to prevent people from exercising their right to freedoms of association and peaceful assembly, and the use of measures designed to prevent political parties, voters, civil society, or the media from disseminating their views.&