The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the caretaker government in Bangladesh will play sincere role to hold a free and fair election as per the announced roadmap to return to democracy.

"There is no alternative to election for returning democracy as well as to make Bangladesh a modern and democratic state," she said while speaking at the oath taking ceremony of the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh James Francis Moriarty at the US State Department on Wednesday.

Moriarty is expected to arrive in Dhaka on April 10 to join his new diplomatic assignment.

Condoleezza said Bangladesh could be a shinning model as a modern Muslim state for different countries in the world, but the main precondition is to return to democracy first, according to a report by US-based

Bangla news agency News World.

She said democracy is much for ensuring human rights and accountability and hoped that Bangladesh government would take appropriate steps to ensure those.

About corruption, the US secretary said main enemy of democracy and development of any country is corruption and in this context she termed the current anti-corruption drive as positive. However, the government must have to be remain alert so that the accused persons get legal protection.

On reforms, she said political reforms in Bangladesh is urgent and hoped that people of the country would carry forward reforms for the greater interest of democracy.

Bangladesh Ambassador in USA M Humayun Kabir and others high officials were present on the occasion.