Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor levels of political (a) violence and (b) persecution in Bangladesh; and what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in Bangladesh on those issues.

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights globally. We are closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and held discussions about the importance of human rights with Chief Adviser Yunus, and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. In February, UK Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh and met senior government officials to discuss justice, accountability and fundamental freedoms.

To support democratic resilience, and reduce political tensions, the UK funded Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme aims at safeguarding civic space, encouraging political cooperation, tackling corruption and mitigating violence. We continue to stress to the Government, both in public and in private, the importance of respect for human rights and rule of law.