The US has urged the Bangladesh government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for political activists arrested ahead of the national elections.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller made the comment while responding to a question at a briefing in Washington DC on Monday.

When asked what steps the US was taking against the Bangladesh government for undermining democracy, Matthew Miller said, “So you have heard me speak about our concerns about the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh before. We did not find them to be free and fair. We have also expressed our concerns with the arrest of thousands of political opposition members in the run-up to those elections.”

“I will say two things. One, we urge the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for all of the arrested individuals. We also urge the Bangladeshi government to allow opposition members and media professionals, civil society representatives, to participate meaningfully in the country’s democratic process and civic life, and we will continue to engage with the Bangladeshi government to advance that point of view,” he said.

But Matthew Miller did not make any response to the question regarding The Wall Street Journal reports of India's inclusion in a Canadian inquiry on Bangladesh on election interference, aligning with China and Russia.

The journalist sought Miller's response on India's involvement "to keep Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in power" and the critics' claim that the US is pushing back on democracy promotion in Bangladesh due to Indian influence.

Miller said, "So I don't have a response with respect to the Canadian inquiry that you referenced. That's a matter for Canada to speak to."