Mushfiqul Fazal AnsareyAnsarey asked Miller about the continuing judicial harassment of Nobel laureate economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus, quoting the latter’s comment that he was “at the worst point of his cursed life.”
“We continue to closely monitor developments in the case against Dr. Yunus. We have expressed our concern that these cases may represent a misuse of Bangladesh’s labor laws to harass and intimidate Dr. Yunus,” responded the State Department spokesperson.
In a note of caution, Miller said, “We also worry that the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about rule of law and dissuade foreign direct investment.”
Miller added that the U.S. would continue to encourage the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr. Yunus as the appeals process continues.
On June 2, after appearing before a court in Dhaka, Dr. Yunus said, “For the first time, I had to stand in an iron-cage court dock … I’ll never forget this … It is a part of this cursed life.”
Ansarey also asked if the US would consider additional actions to show solidarity with the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh or if the sanctions already imposed against former army chief Aziz Ahmed and former police chief Benazir Ahmed were enough to hold the regime accountable after the January 7 election. In response, Miller said he did not have any actions to preview.
