US Congressional body for lifting ban on Bangladesh politics soon
Friday, 3 August 2007
Members of US Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed their desire to see the lifting of the ban on political activities in Bangladesh soon, reports UNB.
They also expressed the hope that the Bangladesh government will stick to the deadlines declared in the roadmap for holding general elections by 2008.
The US Congressional Committee made the remarks Wednesday during a testimony given by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Gastright at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Capitol Hill in Washington.
The hearing was presided over by Chairman of the Committee Congressman Gary L Ackerman and attended by Congressmen Joseph Crowley, Steve Chabot, Frank Pallone and Congresswoman Jackson Lee.
Gastright said success of reform measures taken by the caretaker government would benefit its people, according to a release issued by Bangladesh embassy in Washington.
He said the caretaker government has undertaken a series of reform measures, which if concluded successfully will benefit the people of the country.
Gastright said the reforms being enacted by the government are necessary to restore integrity to government, impartiality and fairness to the criminal justice system and to ensure proper funding of public programmes from tax revenue.
"But it is also essential that the burden of corruption be removed from Bangladesh's economy to allow it to function properly, become more efficient in order to continue to grow and expand," he was quoted by the release as saying.
Asked by the Committee as to how things are progressing in Bangladesh, Gastright said the government has expressed its resolve to stick to the roadmap for election by 2008.
On status of law and order situation in Bangladesh, the US State Department official said there were less incidences of law and order situation in recent months. He particularly referred to reduction of deaths in custody or in hands of the Rapid Action Battalion.
Praising the economic reform agenda of the caretaker government, Gastright mentioned the World Bank and IMF reports said the GDP growth reached 6.7 per cent for fiscal 2007, "was the strongest on record since Bangladesh's Independence."
Terming Bangladesh as America's long standing partner, he assured the Congressional Committee that the United States will continue working with Bangladesh, which is in transition as "it moves through this important period in its history."
Gastright also informed the Committee of the initiatives taken by major political parties 'for fundamental changes in party leadership and structure for internal party democracy' and expressed US desire to 'actively follow these developments.'
They also expressed the hope that the Bangladesh government will stick to the deadlines declared in the roadmap for holding general elections by 2008.
The US Congressional Committee made the remarks Wednesday during a testimony given by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Gastright at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Capitol Hill in Washington.
The hearing was presided over by Chairman of the Committee Congressman Gary L Ackerman and attended by Congressmen Joseph Crowley, Steve Chabot, Frank Pallone and Congresswoman Jackson Lee.
Gastright said success of reform measures taken by the caretaker government would benefit its people, according to a release issued by Bangladesh embassy in Washington.
He said the caretaker government has undertaken a series of reform measures, which if concluded successfully will benefit the people of the country.
Gastright said the reforms being enacted by the government are necessary to restore integrity to government, impartiality and fairness to the criminal justice system and to ensure proper funding of public programmes from tax revenue.
"But it is also essential that the burden of corruption be removed from Bangladesh's economy to allow it to function properly, become more efficient in order to continue to grow and expand," he was quoted by the release as saying.
Asked by the Committee as to how things are progressing in Bangladesh, Gastright said the government has expressed its resolve to stick to the roadmap for election by 2008.
On status of law and order situation in Bangladesh, the US State Department official said there were less incidences of law and order situation in recent months. He particularly referred to reduction of deaths in custody or in hands of the Rapid Action Battalion.
Praising the economic reform agenda of the caretaker government, Gastright mentioned the World Bank and IMF reports said the GDP growth reached 6.7 per cent for fiscal 2007, "was the strongest on record since Bangladesh's Independence."
Terming Bangladesh as America's long standing partner, he assured the Congressional Committee that the United States will continue working with Bangladesh, which is in transition as "it moves through this important period in its history."
Gastright also informed the Committee of the initiatives taken by major political parties 'for fundamental changes in party leadership and structure for internal party democracy' and expressed US desire to 'actively follow these developments.'