Blinken says Bangladesh must respect 'democratic principles'

ANNAPOLIS, United States — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Tuesday on Bangladesh to respect democracy after Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was tapped to lead an interim government following an uprising.

"Any decisions that the interim government makes, they need to respect democratic principles, need to uphold the rule of law, need to reflect the will of the people," Blinken told reporters.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who met with Blinken and recently visited Bangladesh, called on all sides to avoid violence.

"We call on all parties to de-escalate and respect universal rights, and we urge a full and independent and impartial investigation into the events in recent weeks," Wong said after the talks at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.