WRITTEN QUESTION E-3566/01

by Bob van den Bos (ELDR) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Human rights situation in Bangladesh

Since the general parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on 1 October 2001, the situation of minorities and especially Hindus has continued to deteriorate. There have been many new reports of widespread violence against minority communities and destruction of their property. The major political parties are blaming each other for these abuses, and the government is not taking concrete action to stop violence.

What possible consequences might this have for the implementation of the EC-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement?

What steps is the Commission considering in order to change the situation described above?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(31 January 2002)

The Commission is aware that in the weeks following the general elections on 1 October 2001, Bangladesh witnessed an outburst of violence against the losing Awami League's (AL) voters, party workers and particularly against the Hindu community both as a minority group and presumed traditional supporters of the Awami League.

Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are not a recent phenomenon. The Hindu minority suffered under the governments of both the Awami League and the Bangladesh National Party. Moreover, post election violence is, to some extent, a continuation of an ever present violence in Bangladesh society. However, in the aftermath of the national elections on 1 October 2001, its unprecedented extent, brutality and duration is particularly worrying.

For this reason, the Commission, through its Delegation in Dhaka, has monitored very closely the post election situation and the political developments in Bangladesh and has played an active role, together with Member States' and other diplomatic missions on the spot, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Human Rights organisations and the media in denouncing the negative developments.

Shortly after the elections the Head of the Commission's Delegation to Bangladesh, together with the Union's Presidency in Dhaka and the ambassadors of the so-called Tuesday Group (United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Resident Representative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)) made a public statement expressing deep concern about the increasing acts of violence against minorities in Bangladesh.

On 1 November 2001, the Member States' and the Commission's Delegation Heads of Mission met the Home Minister to express their concern about the continuing attacks on minority groups in Bangladesh, and urged the Minister to restore law and order and full respect for human rights. The Member States' Heads of Mission pressed for an immediate establishment of the long proposed Human Rights Commission.

A similar diplomatic action was undertaken with the senior leadership of the Awami League urging the party leaders to exercise restraint and to avoid an escalation of violence by abstaining from any revenge activities.

During the first Community Bangladesh Joint Commission meeting under the new Community-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development, held in Dhaka on 20 November 2001, the chairman of the delegation of the Commission, referring to the human rights clause of the Agreement (Article 1), clearly expressed the Union's concern over the post-election spate of seemingly

politically-motivated violence and asked the Government of Bangladesh to make all necessary efforts to address this issue. Similar demarches were made in meetings of the Member States' and the Commission's Delegation Heads of Mission with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Bangladesh printed media and domestic non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also voiced their concern about the attacks and violence against minorities in the country, urging the Government of Bangladesh to take action against the perpetrators. On 27 November 2001, the High Court, in response to a petition filed by a rights organisation, ordered the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the incidents and submit a report by 15 January 2002. It issued a notice to the government as to why it was not undertaking to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks on minorities. Already on 24 November 2001, the High Court had ordered the Government of Bangladesh to explain why it had not taken steps to stop post-election attacks and harassment of minorities.

Although the present situation still appears tense, reported violence against and intimidation of minorities has decreased. It is also to be noted that the Government of Bangladesh has recently taken steps which indicate a determination to stop any violence against minorities in Bangladesh and to bring the perpetrators to justice. An inquiry committee headed by the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister, has been set up, arrests have been made including a notorious villain who was elected as BNP Member of Parliament, and a legislative proposal for the establishment of an independent Human Rights Commission has been brought on its legislative way.

In the light of these developments, the Commission instructed its Delegation in Dhaka to continue to monitor closely the Human Rights situation in the country, to actively participate in all diplomatic initiatives in close co-ordination with the Union Presidency representative and Member States' diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, and to raise this issue with the Government of Bangladesh as and when appropriate.