IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 396 

Calling on the Government of Bangladesh to protect the human rights of 

all its citizens, particularly vulnerable minorities, strengthen democratic 

institutions and rule of law, and prevent the growth of extremist groups. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Ms. GABBARD (for herself, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. FATTAH, and 

Mr. DOLD) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Government of Bangladesh to protect the 

human rights of all its citizens, particularly vulnerable 

minorities, strengthen democratic institutions and rule 

of law, and prevent the growth of extremist groups. 

Whereas the nation of Bangladesh achieved independence in 

1971 and established a secular democratic state, which is 

home to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and 

atheists; 

Whereas there is extensive documentation that the West 

Pakistan army in conjunction with local militias carried 

out crimes against humanity against the ethnic Bengali 

population in East Pakistan during the 1971 War of 

Independence; 


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•HRES 396 IH 

Whereas though numbers vary, reports indicate that the violence resulted in approximately 3,000,000 deaths, more 

than 10,000,000 displaced, and 200,000 women raped; 

Whereas Edward Kennedy, the former Democratic Senator 

from Massachusetts, denounced the massacres of civilians 

on the Senate floor and wrote the following in a report 

for a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing, ‘‘Field reports to the U.S. Government, countless eye-witness journalistic accounts, reports of International agencies such 

as World Bank and additional information available to 

the subcommittee document the reign of terror which 

grips East Bengal (East Pakistan). Hardest hit have 

been members of the Hindu community who have been 

robbed of their lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, and in some places, painted with yellow patches 

marked ‘H’. All of this has been officially sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law from 

Islamabad’’; 

Whereas a report by the International Commission of Jurists 

(ICJ) following the war confirmed that the Pakistani 

army and local paramilitary militias were responsible for 

an ‘‘attempt to exterminate or drive out of the country 

a large part of the Hindu population of approximately 10 

million people.’’; 

Whereas Bengali nationalists also carried out attacks on the 

ethnic Bihari population, who were viewed as supporters 

of Pakistan during the war; 

Whereas during violent riots against the International Crimes 

Tribunals (ICT), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) 

along with its opposition alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami 

(JeI), and Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) supporters set off 

dozens of bombs, removed tracks from major railways, 


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•HRES 396 IH 

attacked security personnel, and forcibly shut down businesses, disrupting life for ordinary Bangladeshis; 

Whereas the Tribunals were established in 2010 by Bangladesh to investigate war crimes committed during the 

1971 War of Independence by local militias, including 

JeI and ICS, that collaborated with the Pakistani army; 

Whereas BNP, JeI, and ICS engaged in widespread violence 

against vulnerable minorities following verdicts by the tribunals, resulting in the destruction of nearly 50 temples 

and 1,500 homes; 

Whereas Amnesty International, subsequent to the violence, 

noted with concern that, ‘‘The Hindu community in Bangladesh is at extreme risk . . . It is shocking that they 

appear to be targeted simply for their religion. The authorities must ensure that they receive the protection 

they need.’’; 

Whereas minorities were similarly targeted by BNP, JeI, and 

ICS in the run-up to and during the recently conducted 

elections, during which 495 Hindu homes were damaged, 

585 shops were attacked or looted, and 169 temples were 

vandalized between November 2013 and January 2014, 

according to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian 

Unity Council; 

Whereas religious extremists have also attacked Buddhists, 

Christians, and Ahmadi Muslims; 

Whereas JeI and ICS, and other extremist groups pose an 

ongoing threat to Bangladesh’s stability and secular democracy, and religious minorities remain at grave risk of 

continuing violence; 


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•HRES 396 IH 

Whereas the recent flawed elections also threaten Bangladesh’s stability and democracy by leading to violence 

around the country; 

Whereas machete wielding Islamic extremists brutally murdered Avijit Roy and critically injured his wife Rafida 

Ahmed, both United States citizens of Bangladeshi origin 

and atheist activists, on February 26, 2015, in close 

proximity of police officers at the world famous Dhaka 

Book Fair; 

Whereas Islamic extremists in Bangladesh have a history of 

targeting atheist bloggers and activists, as more than 8 

have been murdered over the past 11 years, and dozens 

more are now in hiding for fear of their lives; 

Whereas repeated attacks on religious minorities, expanding 

religious intolerance, and growing destabilization caused 

by radical groups, including JeI and ICS, undermine 

United States economic and strategic interests in Bangladesh; 

Whereas there is a growing trend of Islamic extremism in 

Bangladesh tied to pro-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 

activity, with several arrests of Islamists linked with the 

terrorist group made over the past year; and 

Whereas the United States should more actively engage with 

the Government of Bangladesh over their shared interests 

in safeguarding human rights, religious freedom, and secular democracy in Bangladesh, while preventing the 

growth of religious extremism and militancy: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) acknowledges the victims of the 1971 War 

3 of Independence; 


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•HRES 396 IH 

1 (2) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 

2 adhere to internationally recognized norms for elec3 tions, rule of law, and for due process in the conduct 

4 of the International Crimes Tribunal; 

5 (3) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 

6 stop radical organizations, such as Jamaat-e-Islami 

7 and Islami Chhatra Shibir, who pose an ongoing 

8 threat to the country’s stability and secular democ9 racy; and 

10 (4) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 

11 protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms 

12 of all its citizens, particularly vulnerable minorities. 

Æ 


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