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; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:42 Jul 30, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR396.IH
HR396
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 396 IH 
Whereas though numbers vary, reports indicate that the vio-
lence 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 re-
ports to the U.S. Government, countless eye-witness jour-
nalistic 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 slaugh-
tered, and in some places, painted with yellow patches 
marked ‘H’. All of this has been officially sanctioned, or-
dered 
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, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:42 Jul 30, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR396.IH
HR396
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 396 IH 
attacked security personnel, and forcibly shut down busi-
nesses, disrupting life for ordinary Bangladeshis; 
Whereas the Tribunals were established in 2010 by Ban-
gladesh 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 tri-
bunals, 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 Ban-
gladesh is at extreme risk . . . It is shocking that they 
appear to be targeted simply for their religion. The au-
thorities 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 de-
mocracy, and religious minorities remain at grave risk of 
continuing violence; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:42 Jul 30, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR396.IH
HR396
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 396 IH 
Whereas the recent flawed elections also threaten Ban-
gladesh’s stability and democracy by leading to violence 
around the country; 
Whereas machete wielding Islamic extremists brutally mur-
dered 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 Ban-
gladesh; 
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 sec-
ular democracy in Bangladesh, while preventing the 
growth of religious extremism and militancy: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) acknowledges the victims of the 1971 War 
of Independence; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
05:42 Jul 30, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR396.IH
HR396
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 396 IH 
(2) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 
adhere to internationally recognized norms for elec-
tions, rule of law, and for due process in the conduct 
of the International Crimes Tribunal; 
(3) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 
stop radical organizations, such as Jamaat-e-Islami 
and Islami Chhatra Shibir, who pose an ongoing 
threat to the country’s stability and secular democ-
racy; and 
(4) calls on the Government of Bangladesh to 
protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms 
of all its citizens, particularly vulnerable minorities. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:20 Jul 30, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR396.IH
HR396
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS