US Congresswoman Meng urges Bangladesh to resolve political differences through democratic processes

The Democrat says individuals who break the law should face justice, but warns against targeting entire political parties

Banning political parties is “a matter of concern” and risks weakening the democratic process, US Congresswoman Grace Meng has said.

In an interview with bdnews24.com marking the 250th Independence Day of the US, Meng spoke about different issues, including contemporary politics in Bangladesh and the rights of expatriate Bengalis.

On the ban of the Awami League’s activities in Bangladesh, the US representative said if an individual violates the law, he or she must be held accountable.

“However, banning a full-fledged political party is a matter of concern and can weaken the democratic process."

According to Meng, political differences should be resolved through political and constitutional processes in a democracy.

Meng, a Chinese-American elected from the Bangladeshi-majority borough of Queens, is the first Asian from New York to be elected to the US Congress.

The Democrat has long been closely involved with the Bangladesh Caucus, an informal group of members of the US House of Representatives that works to strengthen relations, trade and cultural cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States.

bdnews24.com: Is there anything to say to the immigrant community on the 250th Independence Day of the US?

Grace Meng: The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, and immigrants have been an integral part of the success of our country. Immigrants have made countless lasting impacts on America that we have all benefited from and continue to contribute enormously to all sectors of our society. Like so many vibrant and thriving immigrant communities, Bangladeshi Americans have become woven into the fabric of America. As the daughter of immigrants, I strongly believe that the immigrant experience cannot be separated from the American experience. As we commemorate our 250th birthday, we also need to celebrate all that immigrants have done to help make America the greatest country in the world.

bdnews24.com : With the hard work of immigrants, the United States has become the best country in the world today. But President Trump is constantly taking anti-immigrant actions. Is there any special plan to protect immigrants from such situations?

Grace Meng: Forcing immigrants to live in fear is unconscionable, and it has been fuelled by ICE terrorising our communities. Virtually every day, I hear from constituents who have encountered ICE, and my team and I work to prevent their families from being separated. Detaining hard-working, law-abiding people instead of dangerous and violent criminals does not make our communities any safer. ICE in its current form cannot continue to exist. I voted against funding ICE, and I’ve introduced legislation to rein in the agency that would:

-- Require ICE agents to display their badge numbers;

-- Require ICE to follow the Justice Department’s own use of deadly force policy; and

-- Allow immigrants to do their check-ins virtually after we’ve seen so many detained during routine check-ins at locations like 26 Federal Plaza.

bdnews24.com: Most of those who have been living illegally in the United States for a long time are working tirelessly, investing in talent. Are there any plans to pass a bill in Congress to grant green cards to such undocumented aliens?

Grace Meng: What we ultimately need is comprehensive immigration reform to overhaul our nation’s broken immigration system, something I’ve called for since I’ve been in Congress. This includes modernising our immigration system, speeding-up the backlog of legal immigration cases, humanely processing asylum claims and allowing millions of immigrants to live and work in the United States and one day become proud American citizens. But instead of working to create a practical solution, the president and Congressional Republicans continue to do nothing to address a broken immigration system. I will continue to keep up the fight to pass the comprehensive reforms we so desperately need and I renew my call for bipartisan action to make these reforms a reality.

bdnews24.com: Congressional Bangladesh has been inactive for a long time. Is there any interest in implementing this organisation?

Grace Meng: The Congressional Bangladesh Caucus is an important bipartisan group seeking to strengthen ties with Bangladesh and advocate for Bangladeshi Americans. I am excited to be a member of the caucus and look forward to more meetings and activities being held in the near future.

bdnews24.com: What are the observations of politicians and administrators regarding the Bangladeshi American community?

Grace Meng: Since my first day in Congress, I’ve worked very closely with my brothers and sisters in the Bangladeshi American community, and I’ve always fought tirelessly on their behalf, championing crucial legislation, addressing their concerns, assisting them with federal government issues and taking part in dozens of Bangladeshi American community events with local groups and community leaders each and every year. It is an honour to represent such a vibrant Bangladeshi American community and I’m proud to be its voice in Washington, DC. I thank the Bangladeshi American community for all its friendship and support and will continue to have its back in the nation’s capital.

bdnews24.com: What issues are you fighting for on behalf of Bangladeshi Americans?

Grace Meng: There are many issues I am proud to champion on behalf of the Bangladeshi American community, and a number of these efforts consist of working within the legislative process. For example, I am pushing a bill to make Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fitr federal holidays and sponsoring legislation to recognise International Mother Language Day. I also passed legislation into law to combat hate crimes, including disgusting acts of Islamophobia, and I’ve worked to improve access to halal food. In addition, I passed a bill into law seeking to create the first national museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and that of course includes Bangladeshi Americans. I’ve also introduced legislation to better protect mosques, faith-based organisations and nonprofits so that they could guard against threats and attacks. Further, I oppose the president’s visa ban for Bangladesh and will continue to stand against it, and I recently started my second year as the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on Capitol Hill, which fights on behalf of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders all across the country.

bdnews24.com: After the change of political pot, the human rights situation in Bangladesh has reached extreme. Is there any observation in this regard?

Grace Meng: I have long fought for human rights in Bangladesh, and that will not change just because of who is in power. Human rights are bigger than any one Administration. America plays an important role to protect them and set an example for other countries, and protecting minority rights is important in any democracy. I want Bangladesh and US-Bangladesh relations to reach their full potential, which is why I will continue to support upholding human rights here at home, and in Bangladesh too.

bdnews24.com: Many feel that the current government's extreme autocratic attitude has been made visible by banning the 'Bangladesh Awami League', which led the Bangladesh independence war. What is your comment?

Grace Meng: It was great to see elections in Bangladesh earlier this year, which people largely agreed were free and fair, even if there are challenges that remain. If individual actors have broken the law, they should be held accountable, but banning whole political parties is concerning and can undermine democracy.

bdnews24.com: If the Democrats get a majority in both houses of Congress in the coming November elections, do they intend to do anything special to protect the interests of immigrants?

Grace Meng: Definitely. If Democrats take back the House, we will fully exercise Congress’s oversight of the executive branch, doing so much more than the Republican majority has done. We will ensure more accountability and transparency of our federal agencies, including ICE. We will also have a better chance at passing legislation like my ICE bills and immigration reform.