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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1402 Engrossed in House (EH)]

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 23, 2008.
Whereas the independent, sovereign republic of Bangladesh was first proclaimed 
        on March 26, 1971, and the Constitution of Bangladesh, ratified in 1972 
        following a war of independence, established a democracy ruled by and 
        for the people;
Whereas Bangladesh has a population of 154,000,000 people and is the world's 
        third most populated Muslim country, and has been known to be a stable, 
        moderate, democratic Muslim Nation;
Whereas Bangladesh has held what the international community has viewed as three 
        free and fair elections in 1991, 1996, and 2001;
Whereas in October 2006, as set up by the constitution, power was handed over to 
        a caretaker government before the January 22, 2007, scheduled election;
Whereas the caretaker Government of Bangladesh imposed a national state of 
        emergency on January 11, 2007, that suspended fundamental rights 
        guaranteed by the constitution and detained a large number of 
        politicians and others on suspicion of involvement in corruption and 
        other crimes;
Whereas the state of emergency has restricted media reporting and it has been 
        reported that journalists have been harassed, detained, or threatened by 
        the authorities;
Whereas the anti-corruption campaign is creating institutions to fight rampant 
        corruption throughout the government, including in the police and ports, 
        but also has resulted in the reporting of human rights abuses;
Whereas the caretaker Government of Bangladesh reportedly arrested 18,000 
        persons with questionable records since May 28, 2008, and subsequently 
        released most of them;
Whereas the Chief Adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, announced that elections will be 
        held by the third week of December 2008;
Whereas the current political situation has been exacerbated by food prices that 
        have doubled within the past year, compounding economic challenges for 
        the people;
Whereas Bangladesh has established an estimated 6 percent real growth rate in 
        the last 4 years, and a 6.5 percent growth rate in 2007;
Whereas the Grameen Bank, through microfinancing in Bangladesh, has been able to 
        provide lending to 7,300,000 stakeholders and has empowered women to 
        control 97 percent of the Bank, alongside other agencies in rural 
        Bangladesh creating a new climate of economic growth and increasing 
        social capital;
Whereas the economic support extended by the United States has helped to create 
        an opportunity for employment and growth in Bangladesh, with particular 
        impact on the empowerment of women and strengthening the process of 
        social moderation and modernization in Bangladesh; and
Whereas Bangladesh's long-term political stability and economic progress are 
        critical to the security of the South Asian region: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its strong support to the restoration of democracy in 
        Bangladesh so it will be able to address economic and political 
        challenges, and urges all stakeholders to play a constructive and 
        forward looking role to strengthen such a process;
            (2) appreciates the decision of the caretaker Government of 
        Bangladesh to hold free, fair, credible, peaceful, and transparent 
        elections by the third week of December 2008;
            (3) welcomes the decision of the Government of Bangladesh to hold 
        dialogue with all political parties and other civil society 
        organizations to create a congenial atmosphere for holding elections and 
        to ensure participation of all political parties in that process;
            (4) urges all political parties to participate in the elections so 
        that democratic governance can be maintained, which could continue fight 
        against corruption and institutional and policy reforms;
            (5) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to lift the state of 
        emergency and remove other restrictions on political activity to allow 
        free and fair elections to occur;
            (6) urges the caretaker Government of Bangladesh to complete a 
        transparent voter registration process that will facilitate the 
        enrollment of the maximum number of eligible voters to protect the 
        voting rights of all eligible voters regardless of religious 
        affiliations or ethnic background, to use all practical technical means 
        of ensuring the security of the ballot, to prevent violence before and 
        after elections, and to permit and facilitate international and domestic 
        nongovernmental monitoring of the entire electoral process;
            (7) urges the caretaker Government of Bangladesh to invite foreign 
        nationals to observe and monitor the December 2008 elections;
            (8) urges the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the due process and 
        equal treatment under the rule of law for all suspects, witnesses, and 
        detainees;
            (9) notes the initiatives of the caretaker Government of Bangladesh 
        to eradicate corruption from all levels of government and society 
        through institutional and policy reforms;
            (10) expresses concern at the reported abuse of human rights and 
        urges the Government of Bangladesh to ensure human rights, freedom of 
        speech, assembly, and association;
            (11) urges the caretaker Government of Bangladesh to protect the 
        rights of religious and ethnic minorities, particularly Hindus, 
        Christians, Buddhists, Ahmadis, and non-Muslim tribal peoples;
            (12) urges the President to work toward the return of democracy to 
        Bangladesh as a high priority of United States foreign policy and affirm 
        the willingness of the United States to provide assistance;
            (13) urges the President to use the voice and vote of the United 
        States in multilateral organizations to strengthen the rule of law and 
        democracy in Bangladesh; and
            (14) urges the President to consider, upon completion of an 
        internationally-accepted free and fair election, extending generous 
        economic support to Bangladesh as an incentive.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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