Bangladesh’s people will decide its future, says US State Department

Elections, democracy, and the involvement of the people matter, says US Spokesperson Tammy Bruce

File photo: US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, US, March 6, 2025. REUTERS

The US State Department says Bangladesh’s future will be decided by its people, adding that democracy, elections, and people’s involvement are important.

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the remarks in response to a question about “Islamist extremism” in Bangladesh at a briefing on Tuesday.

She said, “Ultimately, the future of Bangladesh is going to be decided by the Bangladeshi people. They’re facing what you’ve been describing for some -- and in others that, of course, we’ve seen the reports as well.”

“And elections matter. I don’t want to sound it trite here, but it’s true. Democracy matters, and actions by people matter to confront issues that might in fact, as we’ve seen over the last 20, 25 years, destroy their lives -- it’s pretty clear what the choices are for many nations on this planet.”

An expatriate journalist in the US attempted to ask a question about Bangladesh after referring to a report in The New York Times about rising Islamic extremism in Bangladesh, the “display” of Osama Bin Laden’s image and Nazi symbology, as well as the “targeting” of American brands like KFC and Coca-Cola.

Bruce cut the journalist off before the question was finished, saying: “Right. We have -- sir, sir, we -- I’ve heard you and I know, and I appreciate your passion and the -- and Bangladesh is a country with certain issues. They are also a country that we’ve talked about often, certainly with the questions from the crew here. So, for a specific dynamic, I’m going to have us take that away.”

However, Bruce did speak of the arrest warrant issued against British MP and ouster Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s niece Tulip Siddiq.

“What I do have is something I want to mention regarding Bangladesh, which is that there’s been an arrest [warrant for] a UK MP Tulip Siddiq,” she said.

“The -- this is from the Bangladeshi courts have issued that arrest [warrant]. It is, of course -- things -- all of this and what you’re discussing, even protests, et cetera, are a matter for the Bangladesh authorities to handle, and of course talking with them matters a great deal as well.”