A senior U. S. official is urging Bangladesh to make sure that next year's general elections are held in a free and fair manner in order to provide legitimacy to the winners.
U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca made the remarks at a news conference she held on the second day of her visit to Dhaka.
Earlier this week, the opposition alliance called a nationwide general strike to press for removal of a new chief election commissioner and two of his colleagues. The opposition accuses the three men of favoring the government.
The opposition alliance says the commission's make-up will jeopardize next year's elections. The government rejects the opposition charge as unfounded. Rocca also said fighting terrorism is Bangladesh's most immediate challenge now and that Washington is ready to help.