New York, Oct 17 (V7N) – The United States has reiterated that there is no justification for the violence that occurred during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Bangladesh in July and August this year.

During a regular press briefing on Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized, "We have made it clear that there’s no excuse for violence, whether it’s against those participating in peaceful protests or committed by those protesting. Anyone responsible for violence should be held accountable."

In the same briefing, a journalist raised concerns about an alleged government "embargo" on arresting the protesters from the July-August demonstrations. The journalist also claimed that several police officers were killed between August 5 and 8 following the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

When asked about reports of an Islamic song being sung at a puja mandap during the recent Durga Puja in Bangladesh, Miller stated, "We are committed to religious freedom in Bangladesh and elsewhere. As for that specific incident, I’ll look into it and provide an answer." The journalist had mentioned claims that followers of Hizb ut-Tahrir and Jamaat-e-Islami sang Islamic songs and were forced to recite Qur'anic verses during Bangladesh's largest Hindu festival.

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