MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

11/04/2005

tabled for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Johan van Hecke
on behalf of the ALDE Group
on Bangladesh

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B6-0252/2005

European parliament resolution on Bangladesh

The European parliament,

A.  whereas the country has been shaken by two grenade attacks aimed at prominent opposition politicians. In the first attack, on 21 August, 2004, which targeted the chief opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina, head of the Awami League, 21 people were killed; in the second grenade attack, which took place on 27 January, the former Finance Minister, S.A.M.S. Kibria, along with other people attending a rally in Habiganj in the north-east of the country, was killed;

B.  whereas representatives from civil society and public institutions have been the target of assassinations, bomb attacks, death threats and various forms of harassment and intimidation;

C.  whereas the authorities have failed to bring to book most of the perpetrators of these attacks;

D.  noting with grave concern that members of religious minorities have been the victims of numerous forms of violence and intimidation since the present government assumed power in October 2001;

E.  whereas the Bangladeshi government has failed to curb the violence and the threats expressed by Muslim fundamentalist politicians and groupings;

F.  noting with concern that Muslim fundamentalist political parties, which form part of the present coalition government, have been misusing their position to create a climate of fear in Bangladeshi society;

G.  whereas the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), like that of opposition political parties, is being hampered by the government's acts of repression and intimidation;

H.  concerned that the deterioration of Bangladesh’s human rights’ situation is also linked to the activities of forces officially responsible for enforcement of law and order as the government has set up a new paramilitary force, named the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and several people have been killed while in custody of the RAB;

1.  Expresses its deepest concern over the repeated bomb attacks targeting key opposition politicians, religious minorities, and those within Islam favouring religious tolerance, and expresses its dismay over the lack of progress in bringing the perpetrators of those attacks to justice;

2.  Urges the Bangladeshi government to refrain from arbitrary arrests and from measures of repression against peaceful political protesters, such as the use of detention and torture, and the promotion of police brutality;

3.  Urges the government to refrain from adoption of any repressive law aimed at curbing the activities of secular oriented non-governmental organisations (NGOs);

4.  Expresses its support for the principled steps which EU representatives have taken during the last year in defense of the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh and stresses the Bangladeshi people's longstanding tradition of mutual religious tolerance and secularism;

5.  Urges the Bangladeshi government to take effective and comprehensive measures against the operations of Muslim fundamentalist paramilitary groups;

6.  Reiterates its support for the demand of secular political forces in Bangladesh, stated in previous EP-resolutions (1994 and 2002), that (Muslim fundamentalist) politicians who are known to have been involved in massacring civilians and in other war crimes during Bangladesh's liberation war of 1971, be put on trial;

7.  Instructs its President to forward the present resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Secretary-General, the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation and the government of Bangladesh.