EU concerned over political deadlock
A delegation of the European Parliament (EP) has expressed concern over the country’s political deadlock centring the January 5 general elections and incidents of violence and vote rigging during the recently held local polls.
The EP team led by Jean Lambert, chairperson of the delegation for relations with South Asia, expressed the concern during meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on the previous day.
During the meetings, the delegation also expressed its view that the two parties should engage in a dialogue, according to an EP press release.
The delegation undertook a mission to Bangladesh on March 24 and 25.
This was the first high-level visit from the European Union (EU) since the January 5 polls.
The delegation held extensive discussions with Commerce Minister Tofail and stakeholders in the ready-made garment sector, which employs over four million workers and whose exports to the EU have increased by 57% over the past three years.
The European parliamentarians assessed the progress made to improve factory safety and workers' rights, notably with the reform of the Labour Law and the commitment to hire 200 new safety inspectors.
The EP delegation stressed the need for European buyers and Bangladeshi owners' desire to continue to fulfill their commitments under the EU-Bangladesh Global Sustainability Compact.
Likewise, the government should adopt implementing rules for the Labour Law, deploy the inspectors, ensure a comprehensive publication of their reports, enforce the raise of the minimal wage and the compensation and rehabilitation of all the victims of the Rana Plaza building collapse.
"When the European consumers purchase clothes, they want to be sure that these have been produced by people who are safe at work and earn a decent living," said Chair Lambert.
During its meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali, the EP delegation discussed the new Bangladeshi efforts to address the plight of Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
The EP delegation stressed the need for the new government strategy to keep a strong humanitarian focus and preserve access to the international agencies and NGOs assisting the refugees and host communities.
The delegation welcomed the steady and multi-faceted improvement of the relationship with India, including the considerable reduction of border killings.
It also expressed its appreciation for the long-standing cooperation between the EU and Bangladesh in international for a on global issues such as poverty reduction, climate change and gender equality.
The EP delegation called for a reinforcement of the independence of the Elections Commission, to which the EU has contributed 10 million Euros over the past few years and expressed its view that there should be a full investigation of the disruption to polling.
The team urged the government to ensure space for the civil society and maintain freedom of expression, notably by amending the Information and Communication Technology Act, which it is feared could lead to the arbitrary criminalization of citizens.
Concerned by reports of attacks on minorities, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, the EP delegation called on the government to fully investigate these reports and to effectively implement its ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on police abuse and launch an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and on Extra-judicial Executions.
On the eve of Bangladesh Independence Day, the EP delegation paid homage to the victims of the 1971 Liberation War and wished well to all Bangladeshi citizens.
Thanking all her interlocutors for their generous hospitality, Chair Lambert expressed her "confidence that the country would overcome its current crisis and pursue its development as a democratic, secular and tolerant State".
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