See that govt officials complicit
FROM PAGE 16
Senators Edward J Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Richard J Durbin, Tim Kaine, Tammy Baldwin, Jeffrey A Merkley, and Christopher S Murphy co-signed the letter in the Senate, and Representatives William R Keating, James P McGovern, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan, Joe Wilson, Dina Titus, Grace Meng, Gerald E Connolly, Gabe Amo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nydia M Velázquez, Daniel T Kildee, Barbara Lee, and James C Moylan co-signed the letter in the House of Representatives.
They said in responding to the student demonstrations, the Bangladeshi authorities deployed Rapid Action Battalion; condoned the use of teargas, rubber bullets, and sound grenades by riot police against protesters; imposed curfew and “shoot-on-sight” orders; and shut down the Internet.
“Given these alarming and continuing trends, we hope that you will lead the US Department of State in upholding the shared democratic principles that have long underpinned the US-Bangladeshi relationship,” they wrote to Blinken.
They said their concerns have only become more acute following recent deadly clashes between student protesters and security forces and Bangladesh’s national elections on January 7, 2024, which the US, UN and other observers have rightly criticised as being neither free nor fair.
The letter said since their inception, US-Bangladeshi relations have been predicated on mutual respect for the rule of law, the promotion of democracy, and the protection of human rights, as well as enhancing regional security, and bolstering inclusive economic growth. With the support of the US and other international community, Bangladesh has made great strides in improving the lives of its citizens.
However, they said the shared principles have come under threat in Bangladesh as the ruling Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have acted in an increasingly authoritarian manner since returning to power in 2009.
They noted the US sanctions on Rab in 2021, visa policy in May last year and the consistent messages conveyed to Bangladeshi officials for free and fair elections and improving human rights and labour rights.
Sadly, the Bangladeshi government has continued to take actions that undermine democratic processes, including by holding deeply flawed elections in January, failing to improve labour regulations, and, most recently, violently cracking down on demonstrations using guns, teargas, and imposing a near-total shutdown of Internet services, they said.
The January 7 election was largely boycotted by Bangladesh’s political opposition, which itself was hamstrung by a wave of arrests following demonstrations on October 28, 2023.
Most importantly, the election was marred by violence and not supported by a large swath of the Bangladeshi electorate, they said.
Beyond members of the political opposition, workers and trade unionists have long faced violence, repression, and labor rights violations.
The Bangladesh government has yet to amend its labour laws to protect workers’ freedom of association in line with the ILO standards, the letter said.
They urged the US Department of State to redouble its efforts to support the democratic aspirations of the Bangladeshi people.
Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has urged for immediate steps by the Bangladesh government to prevent further violence and ensure accountability.
In a post on X, formerly Tweeter, he yesterday said as rallies and internet restrictions continue, along with appalling new reports of violence by security forces and groups affiliated with the government, the government needs to take immediate steps to ensure right to peaceful assembly and right to information.
Earlier on July 23, Turk wrote to Hasina, offering to deploy an independent fact-finding team to assist the Bangladesh government in building trust among all stakeholders and to help de-escalate tensions.
“In these challenging times, my office is ready to support your efforts in resolving the current crisis,” he said in the letter.