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British, EU MPs I for lifting emergency

UNB, London
British and European parliamentarians have said Bangladesh caretaker government should live up to its political obligauon by lifting emergency rule to allow political activities and political reforms.
As ’friends of fair and democratic Bangladesh*. they haw reminded the government of its obligation to hold free and fair elections.
The observations were made at a seminar on "The Roadmap to Parliamentary Elections’ held on Monday in the Moses Room of the House of Lords.
The seminar was organised by the International Bangladesh Foundation and chaired by Lord Avebury, the vice chair of All Party Parliamentary' Human Rights Group and chairman of International Bangladesh Foundation.
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ft was attended by British MPs, MEPs, Peers. Councilors and representatives of human rights organi-sations including Amnesty Internationa), Human Rights Watch, Global Human Rights Defence, Jumma Peoples Network. Nirmul Committee and Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-ChristianOikyaParishad.
The speakers at the seminar said human rights violation and lifting of emergency rule must be placed on the reform agenda as a top priority and the government must respect human rights of itscitizens.
Lord Avebury in his opening remarks said: "We're concentrating on the conditions that will enable free and fair elections to be held as scheduled before the end of this year."
Saida Muna Tas neem, Counselor at Bangladesh High Commission in London, gave a presentation and an overview of the caretaker government's commitment to the roadmap to parlia-
mentary elections by December 2008.
She informed the seminar of the progress in voter registration and various reforms the government has already implemented including separation of the judiciary, formation of an independent election commission, anticorruption commission and an independent national human rights commission.
Tasneem called for continued support from international partners to successful completion of the caretaker government's roadmap and reforms.
Baroness Pola Uddin, chairman. Britain-Bangladesh All Party Parliamentary Group; Anne Main MP. chairman, Conservative Friends of Bangladesh; Jeremy Corbyn MP, Britain-Bangladesh All-Party Parliamentary Group; Robert Evans MEP. chair of the European Parliament s South Asia Delegation; Dr Charles Tanhock MEP, vice-president, European Parliament's Human Rights Sub-
committee; Tim Parritt, deputy director, Asia Programme of the Amnesty International; Brad Adams, Asia director. Human Rights Watch: and Sultan Shariff. Awami League, also spoke at the seminar.
Joshna Miah, BNP; MA Rauf. Gano Forum, and Dr Ahmed Ziauddin, Bangladesh Centre for Genocide Studies, Belgium, and Ms Sally Kebble MP also attended the seminar.
In the general discussion that followed contributors from the floor included Cllr Ayub Korom Ali, former Cllr MA Rohiin, BNP leader Kamar Uddin, CPB representative Rafiqul Hasan Khan. Westminster Cllr Mustaq Qureshi, Jenny Lundstrom of Global Human Rights Defence, Lord Bew, Koysor Syed of Mukti Joddha Sangsad, Murad Qureshi, member, London Assembly, Sally Keeble MP and Simon Lever from the Foreign Office.
Hie speakers expressed their "deep concern at human rights
abuses" under the country's state of emergency. Some speakers raised the issue of the trial of war criminals and the failure to bring the perpetrators that has led to culture of impunity.
However, the speakers appreciated the various steps taken by the present caretaker government against corniption. terrorism and welcomed Fakhruddin Ahmed's recent comments against the war criminals but stated that it is the duty of the government to initiate the cases against the war criminals.
Lord Avebury in his concluding remarks said: "There has to be freedom of expression and of assembly if elections are to be tree and fair."
Headded: "Elections aren't only about having die right laws, an accurate register and impartial officials. They depend on the preconditions in the months before polling day. and crucially, on the maintenance of a peaceful environment during election campaign."