The United States Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu said that the new visa policy announced last night by Secretary of State Antony Blinken will apply to both- those giving orders and those taking orders to impede free and fair elections in Bangladesh. Speaking on a local TV show Tritiyo Matra, Donald Lu clarified that the visa restrictions are intended to be forward looking with the aim to prevent violence and promote free and fair elections in Bangladesh. He said the US does not plan to look backwards on this issue. <br />''<br />''Elaborating upon the new visa policy, Donal Lu said that it covers four areas for imposing visa restrictions which include voter intimidation, vote rigging, denial of free speech or freedom of assembly and violence that undermines free and fair elections. Immediate family members of the persons falling under the ambit of visa restriction will also be denied visa to travel to the US. Donal Lu clarified that the policy will be carried out in a manner that is fair and constructive both to the government and the opposition. The restrictions could apply to anyone belonging to the government, judiciary, law enforcement agencies or the opposition who are impeding or undermining free and fair elections in Bangladesh.<br />''<br />''Lu denied that the action had been taken in retaliation for the cutting down of additional security to the US Ambassador to Dhaka Peter Haas. He said he was personally involved in conveying the new policy to the government of Bangladesh on May 3, much before the security detail of the US Ambassador and a few other foreign missions was reduced on May 14. The US Assistant Secretary of State said that the policy is intended to support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Government of Bangladesh, Civil Society and people to have free and fair elections in a country which is very important to the US. <br />''<br />''In the meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told the news agency UNB that the new visa policy of the US does not bother the government as authorities are committed to holding free and fair elections. He said it is the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which should be worried as violence before or during elections will trigger visa restriction. Shahriar Alam said that the official response will be given once details about the policy are  known.<br />