Bangladesh
(asked on 26th September 2014) - View Source
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he had with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on (a) international recognition of her recent election, (b) alleged human rights violations preceding that election and (c) the promotion of free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh in future during her visit to the UK in January 2014.
This question was answered on 15th October 2014
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) met Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in London in July. He noted the UK’s disappointment over Bangladesh’s parliamentary election in January 2014 with more than half of constituencies uncontested. They agreed on the importance of open society and a political system in which democratic political participation and media freedoms are respected. We have also raised concerns about human rights violations with the government of Bangladesh in the aftermath of elections and have continued to encourage dialogue between Bangladesh’s political parties to strengthen democratic accountability and to put an end to the damaging 5-cycle of one-sided elections, electoral violence and instability.
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) met Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in London in July. He noted the UK’s disappointment over Bangladesh’s parliamentary election in January 2014 with more than half of constituencies uncontested. They agreed on the importance of open society and a political system in which democratic political participation and media freedoms are respected. We have also raised concerns about human rights violations with the government of Bangladesh in the aftermath of elections and have continued to encourage dialogue between Bangladesh’s political parties to strengthen democratic accountability and to put an end to the damaging 5-cycle of one-sided elections, electoral violence and instability.