WRITTEN QUESTION E-3566/01 by Bob van den Bos (ELDR) to the Commission. Human rights situation in Bangladesh.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Bangladesh, cooperation agreement, human rights, national minority, protection of minorities, violence

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/87

(2002/C 172 E/090)

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

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Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

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.

(2002/C 172 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3567/01

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Leader+

On 4 December 2001, the Commission approved the Leader+ programme for Greece with a budget of
€ 392,6 million. Can the Commission provide details of the implementation of the previous Leader
programmes in Greece, comparing their results with those obtained in other Member States where the
corresponding programmes were carried out?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

Briefly comparing the results and impact achieved in Greece under the Leader I programme, which was
implemented mainly during the period 1990-1993, with the 12 EU Member States as a whole shows that:

> of 215 local action groups (LAGs) in total, Structural Funds aid final beneficiaries set up 25 LAGs in

Greece (11,6 % of the total);

> of € 417 million in total committed and used from the Structural Funds, the Greek programme’s share
amounted to € 52 million (12,5 % of the total); it should be pointed out that, in terms of financial
implementation, Greece was among the top five Member States (along with Germany, France, Ireland
and Portugal) in which more than 60 % of LAGs attained over 95 % of their objectives within the
period stipulated;