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Published on June 10, 2016
During the debate, the MEPs applauded the “modern and secular credentials” of Bangladesh and its tremendous diversity and the current government’s commitment to combating terrorism and its ‘zero-tolerance policy’ towards any violation of human rights. The MEPs also lauded the progress made on worker rights after the ‘Sustainability Compact’ They also expressed concern at the recent target killings of secular and minorities by extremists in Bangladesh.
Commending the role of the Government of Bangladesh, MEP Charles Tannock said that “Bangladesh as a secular south Asian democracy is a political model”, which he strongly supports. He said Bangladesh is championing in religious tolerance, freedom of expression, women’s rights, education, values which is recognized greatly in Europe.
Referring to the issue of target killings, he mentioned that such values are threatened not by the Government, but by the extremists in Bangladesh. He urged the opposition party, BNP, to end links with the Jaamat-e-Islami. He further commented that the MEPs should not compare the sophisticated and trained law enforcement agencies in Europe with the same in Bangladesh and thereby refrain from condemning the Government. In the fight against extremism in Bangladesh, some MEPs also urged the EP to help the country in her fight against these threats.
It is not however, the first time that the MEPs have asked BNP to cut ties with Jamaat and other extremist groups in Bangladesh. On January 16, 2014, the EP in a resolution urged the BNP to ‘unequivocally’ distance itself from the Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e Islam. In the resolution, it also suggested that the government should ban parties resorting to terrorist acts, without taking any specific names. This call was reaffirmed when MEP Jean Lambert visited Bangladesh later in December 2014 and raised their call to BNP for cutting ties with Jamaat directly.
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