WRITTEN QUESTION E-3046/03 by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission. Human rights in Bangladesh.
Date: 2003-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Bangladesh, cooperation policy, human rights, political situation, political violence

C 70 E/204

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

(2004/C 70 E/220)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3046/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Human rights in Bangladesh

Despite the Commission’s continual monitoring of political developments in Bangladesh, through its
Delegation in Dhaka and various other initiatives, it has been brought to my attention that human rights
violations continue.

Previous cases of politically motivated attacks, reported over a year ago, were understood to be the result
of a temporary ‘power vacuum,’ before the new government could fully establish itself. However, such
attacks, arrests and torture of human rights activists and opposition politicians persist.

Can the Commission please detail what progress, if any, has been made to address the human rights
situation in Bangladesh?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2003)

The Commission shares the views of the Honourable Member, that Operation Clean Heart has failed to
achieve its objectives and that the human rights situation in Bangladesh has deteriorated in the course of
2003. The Commission is particularly concerned about the following developments: the law and order
situation is deteriorating, as illustrated by endemic criminality and the inability of the police to respond in
an appropriate manner. The nexus between the police, criminals and certain politicians is particularly
worrying. Tribal tensions are growing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, in the absence of progress on the
implementation of the 1997 Peace Agreement. The situation of minorities, especially in this region, is
precarious, as demonstrated by violent incidents in Mahalchari on 26 August 2003. Death sentences have
been handed down at disturbingly high rates. There is still little progress on the separation of the judiciary
and the executive and the establishment of
independent monitoring institutions, notably the Anti
Corruption Commission, the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman.

The Commission has expressed strong concerns about the situation to the Government on several
In addition the Commission’s Delegation in Dhaka maintains a continuous dialogue on
occasions.
governance and human rights issues with senior interlocutors in the Government.
In its recently
established human rights dialogue, the Commission has addressed a wide range of issues including
separation of the judiciary from the executive, investigation of custodial deaths, torture, status of the Anti
Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, Ombudsman, freedom of press and the situation of
the Burmese refugees. The Commission continues to make every effort to maintain the discussion with the
Bangladesh Government and hopes to identify areas were it can co-operate jointly on the promotion and
improvement of the Human Rights situation. To date, the Commission has supported several Human
Rights projects through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights and intends to continue
support in the context of the National Indicative Programme.

(2004/C 70 E/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3049/03

by Koenraad Dillen (NI) to the Commission

(17 October 2003)

Subject: Electronic tagging of asylum seekers

According to an article in the British newspaper ‘The Independent’ on 28 September 2003, the British
Home Office and the Immigration Service are holding talks with the firm Securicor on ways of
electronically tagging asylum seekers and illegals in the United Kingdom, with a view to better monitoring
of the immigration and asylum problem. In the United States, Florida and Alaska have been using a similar
system since the Department for Homeland Security was established. British Home Secretary David