Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Bangladesh on protecting religious minorities; and what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to support (a) religious tolerance and (b) human rights in that country.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. We are committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, as guaranteed under international human rights law. In July, the UK Government expressed concern about the situation in Bangladesh and called for all sides to work together to end the violence. We support the independent fact-finding mission by the United Nations to identify human rights violations in Bangladesh. The Interim Government in Bangladesh has the UK's full support as it works to restore peace and order, ensure accountability and promote national reconciliation.