US not to suspend assistance

US officials have told the media that Washington does not plan to curb assistance for crucial projects in Bangladesh. While the United States does not consider the election credible and have pressed for a dialogue, it also indicated it would still work with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports the Pakistani media the 'Daily Times'. It said many US officials have privately told journalists that outsiders had limited ability to ease decades of intense, personal enmity between her and arch-enemy Khaleda Zia. The report quoting a US official says, Washington’s key priority was to encourage new elections but that it would not suspend assistance, which is largely routed through non-governmental groups. “I don’t think we advance our strategic interests by curtailing that. You don’t end up punishing anybody but the recipients, who are the people on the ground,” the official said on condition of anonymity, according to bdnews24.com.