Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh to encourage the protection of freedom of religion or belief in that country.

The UK is committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief (ForB) for all, as guaranteed under international human rights law. The UK regularly raises human rights concerns, including on FoRB, as part of our ongoing dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh. We support FoRB and freedom of expression through our political advocacy and development programme funding. This included funding to Aid Connect for the Freedom of Religion and Belief Leadership Networks project (August 2019 - December 2023) that supported Bangladesh's parliamentary commitment to FoRB. Our support ensured the rights of minorities were respected, and that these groups were protected from discrimination.