Washington ‘still waiting’ for Bangladesh government report on attack on Bernicat’s car “How did it happen in front of uniformed policemen?”—US. Ambassador Marcia Bernicat

The US government is still waiting for an investigation report from the Bangladesh government about the attack on Ambassador Marcia Bernicat’s car.

The ambassador in her farewell press briefing on Tuesday said the attack of that kind was “exceedingly rare” in most countries and it was “a shock”.

“We have asked and continue to ask for a full investigation,” she said, replying to a question on whether the US is happy with the government’s response to the attack. Bernicat said those responsible must be held “accountable for those attacks”.

“My government is still waiting for that report,” she said, acknowledging that the government has issued a formal public apology and a number of private apologies for which she is “grateful”.

“How did it happen in front of uniformed policemen? The idea is how to prevent it happening again,” she said. “This is not just for an ambassador, this is for anyone.”

The car carrying Bernicat came under an armed attack by the ruling party thugs on Aug 5 in Mohammadpur area where she went to attend a private dinner.

In recent months, the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, has castigated Bangladesh’s slide toward increasingly authoritarian rule. Bernicat has publicly expressed concern over reports of intimidation and ballot-stuffing in a recent mayoral election — reports that the government denies. She also has criticized the large number of police killings political opponents and opposition followers, which the government denies and strongly criticize Bernicat.

Bangladesh’s information minister accused the U.S. Embassy of “poking its nose” into the country’s domestic affairs, as he responded to a Facebook post that criticized authorities’ heavy-handed response to Safe Bangladesh Movement protests by students.

The minister’s rebuke marked the latest shot in Bangladesh’s increasingly fraught relations with Washington. It came as the government faced embarrassing but now ebbing student protests in Dhaka.

On that day speaking to reporters, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the U.S. Embassy in its Facebook post was “poking its nose in Bangladesh’s internal politics in an indecent way,” adding: “We condemn this.”

The embassy’s Facebook post was noted that some students were involved in violence, but the message was directed primarily against the police use of force.

“Nothing can justify the brutal attacks and violence over the weekend against the thousands of young people who have been peacefully exercising their democratic rights in supporting a safer Bangladesh,” it read.

Bernicat’s frankness reportedly has irked Bangladeshi leaders. On July 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is also a government adviser, accused the ambassador of being a “mouthpiece” of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Right after the Prime Minister son’s statement attack on Ambassador Bernicat’s motorcade took place. On Aug 5th evening, on her way home from a dinner party, Bernicat’s motorcade was attacked by ruling Awami League party armed men in presence of uniformed policemen’s. Bangladeshi government investigators are still today looking into the attackers’ motives?

Bernicat is leaving Dhaka on Friday ending a nearly four-year “tour of duty”.

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