By Xinhua

Dhaka : The United States Monday said it would be better for Bangladesh to withdraw the state of emergency as soon as possible and hold an election participated by all.

The visiting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs of U.S. State Department Donald Camp said this Monday.

He also said civil rights must be protected and due legal process in trials, including the trials of the two former prime ministers, should be followed, leading newspaper The Daily Star reported Tuesday.

Camp met the chief adviser, the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the army chief.

"The sooner the state of emergency is lifted the better, the sooner the election can be held, the better," Camp told reporters after his meeting with Foreign Adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury.

"Full democracy is vital to the country. Full participation in the electoral process is vital to democracy," Camp said, adding that the U.S. will stand beside the Bangladesh people to see power handed over to an elected government by the end of this year.

Bangladesh president Iajuddin Ahmed on Jan. 11, 2007 declared state of emergency in Bangladesh to quell political violence between major political parties over abortive parliamentary polls set for Jan. 22, 2007.

The current caretaker government has reiterated the elections will be held before the end of 2008.