III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 318 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the critical need for political 

reform in Bangladesh, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2013 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. ENZI, and Mr. MURPHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the critical 

need for political reform in Bangladesh, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas the nation of Bangladesh was established in 1971 

after a bitter war in which it split from Pakistan, and for 

many of the ensuing years until 1990, it was ruled by 

military governments; 

Whereas political tensions have at times turned to violence in 

Bangladesh, undermining the democratic process; 

Whereas the last parliamentary elections in Bangladesh originally scheduled for January 2007, were postponed indefinitely after the military intervened amid rising violence 

and questions about the electoral process’s credibility; 


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•SRES 318 IS 

Whereas a military-backed civilian caretaker government held 

power until December 2008 when Bangladeshis returned 

to the polls to elect a new parliament for the first time 

in many years; 

Whereas ongoing antagonism between the country’s two ruling parties, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, distracts from the important needs of the 

country; 

Whereas concerns have grown about religious extremism in 

the otherwise usually tolerant country; 

Whereas the United States-Bangladesh relationship is strong 

and involves many shared interests, including regional 

economic integration, counterterrorism, counter-piracy, 

poverty alleviation, food security, regional stability, and 

mitigation of natural disasters; 

Whereas bilateral trade between the United States and Bangladesh now tops $6,000,000,000 annually, with major 

United States companies making significant long-term investments in Bangladesh; 

Whereas the economy of Bangladesh has grown six percent 

per year over the last two decades, despite a range of 

challenges; 

Whereas the poverty rate in Bangladesh dropped from 40 

percent to 31 percent between 2005 and 2010—a notable 

accomplishment in a country in which poverty has been 

deep and widespread; 

Whereas the Grameen Bank’s revolutionary microfinance 

lending to the poor has helped reduce poverty not only 

in Bangladesh, but has served as an innovative and powerful model for helping the poor elsewhere in the world; 


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•SRES 318 IS 

Whereas the Department of State, Congress, and other high 

profile international voices have recognized the Grameen 

Bank’s innovative work and expressed great concern over 

actions by the Government of Bangladesh that undermine 

the Bank’s independence; 

Whereas Bangladesh, an example of a moderate and diverse 

Muslim-majority democracy, is scheduled to have national 

elections on January 5, 2014; 

Whereas, in 2013, hundreds of Bangladeshis died in violent 

clashes as a result of political violence and unrest, and 

some opposition and human rights activists have been arrested; 

Whereas trials held by the International Crimes Tribunal in 

Bangladesh—set up to prosecute those responsible for 

atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s war of liberation with Pakistan in 1971—have fallen short of international standards; 

Whereas the Government of Bangladesh eliminated a constitutional provision requiring the governing party to cede 

power to a neutral caretaker government three months 

before an election; 

Whereas the 18-member opposition coalition in Bangladesh 

called for numerous nationwide strikes and transportation blockades in 2013, resulting in dozens of deaths; 

Whereas Bangladeshi students cannot attend school and complete mandatory exams due to the strikes and blockades 

and related violence; 

Whereas many citizens of Bangladesh have had their work 

and daily activities disrupted due to the strikes and related violence, which come at a cost to the economy and 

stability of Bangladesh; 


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•SRES 318 IS 

Whereas a stable, moderate, secular, Muslim-majority democracy with the world’s seventh-largest population, and the 

world’s fourth-largest Muslim population, will have lasting positive impacts in the region and beyond; 

Whereas the success of the democratic process in Bangladesh 

is of great importance to the United States and the 

world; and 

Whereas during the week of December 8, 2013, United Nations Assistant Secretary General Oscar FernandezTaranco visited Bangladesh to foster political dialogue 

between Bangladeshi political parties and leaders in order 

to bring a halt to violence and allow for a credible peaceful election: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the political violence in Ban3 gladesh and urges political leaders in that country to 

4 engage directly and substantively in a dialogue to5 ward free, fair, and credible elections; 

6 (2) expresses great concern about the continued 

7 political deadlock in Bangladesh that distracts from 

8 the country’s many important challenges; 

9 (3) urges political leaders in Bangladesh to take 

10 immediate steps to rein in and to condemn the vio11 lence as well as to provide space for peaceful polit12 ical protests; 

13 (4) urges political leaders in Bangladesh to en14 sure the safety and access of observers in its upcom15 ing elections; 


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•SRES 318 IS 

1 (5) supports ongoing efforts by United Nations 

2 Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez3 Taranco to foster political dialogue between political 

4 factions in Bangladesh; and 

5 (6) urges the Government of Bangladesh to en6 sure judicial independence, end harassment of 

7 human rights activists, and restore the independence 

8 of the Grameen Bank. 

Æ 


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