The United States has voiced deep concern over the recent outbreak of violence during student protests in Bangladesh, advocating for peaceful demonstrations and strongly condemning any acts of aggression against those rallying for quota reform.
US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Mille conveyed Washington's position through a statement on the US Embassy Dhaka's official Facebook page on Thursday (18 July).
"We continue to monitor the violence that broke out during the student protests in Dhaka and continue to urge that protests be peaceful," Miller stated, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
"We condemn any violence against peaceful protests," he emphasised, reflecting Washington's stance on the clashes that have marred the otherwise peaceful demonstrations.
Miller further underscored that both the US Embassy in Dhaka and officials in Washington are closely scrutinising developments in Dhaka, especially in light of reports indicating casualties among protesters.
"We have seen the reports of people dying, being killed in the protests. And we, again, call on the government to uphold individuals' rights to protest peacefully," he added, urging authorities to respect the rights of citizens to express their grievances without fear of reprisal.
