Washington:
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday spoke with Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and both leaders expressed their commitment to respecting and protecting the human rights of all.
Sullivan also thanked Yunus for his leadership of Bangladesh during a challenging period, according to a press release issued by the US government.
It said that both leaders expressed their commitment to respecting and protecting the human rights of all people, regardless of religion.
Sullivan also reiterated the US support for a prosperous, stable, and democratic Bangladesh, and offered his country’s continued support in meeting the challenges that the South Asian nation faces.
Yunus, 84, was sworn in as the chief adviser of Bangladesh on August 8, three days after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India in the face of a massive anti-government protest.
There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh after the fall of the Hasina government.
On December 13, the White House said that President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the US will hold the country’s interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of Hasina, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby had said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking the extradition of Hasina from India, a move that may further strain the ties between the two countries.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
