Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina warned the country’s parliament this week that Washington can ‘overthrow’ any government With a general election due in Bangladesh in less than a year, the US secretary of state recently raised concerns about press freedoms and human rights in the country DHAKA: Opposition politicians in Bangladesh on Wednesday dismissed suggestions by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that the US is seeking to undermine democracy in the country ahead of its next general election. In an address to parliament on Monday, Hasina, leader of the ruling Awami League party, said that Washington is “trying to eliminate democracy” in Bangladesh and “can overthrow the government of any country.” He also labeled the leading national daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, an “enemy of the people.” The country’s largest opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, described Hasina’s comments as “laughable.” “While the US has its own challenges of democracy, no one can accuse the US of attempting to ‘eliminate democracy,’” Barrister Nawshad Zamir, the party’s international affairs secretary, told Arab News on Wednesday. Zamir said there was no reason to be concerned about foreign interference in Bangladesh’s elections, which are expected to take place in December or January. “The concerns (about Bangladesh) expressed by various international human rights organizations are nothing new,” he added. “The more the world becomes global, each country and regime will attract more international scrutiny.” Hasina’s strong remarks came hours before Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A. K. Abdul Momen held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, during which the latter “expressed concerns about violence against, and intimidation of, the media and civil society” in Bangladesh. During the meeting, Blinken “underscored that free and fair elections and respect for human rights in Bangladesh are critical” as the two countries seek to enhance relations, the US embassy in Bangladesh said on Wednesday. The Bangladeshi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Momen had reaffirmed to Blinken his government’s commitment to free and fair elections. Hasina’s comments were likely “an expression of frustration about recent US statements and positions, particularly on the election issue,” Humayun Kabir, a former Bangladeshi ambassador to the US, told Arab News. Concerns about whether elections in Bangladesh will be free and fair have been raised not only by the US in recent months, but also the EU and Japan. However, Kabir said the South Asian country “should not be overly concerned” with statements from Washington or other countries. Issues related to freedom of the media and human rights, he said, are “issues that we need to be careful about and we need to cultivate.” He added: “Bangladesh is driven by people power. People should have their rights and opportunities, and an opportunity to contribute toward building a future Bangladesh. An election is one step for that. We have a long way to go.”