A bipartisan group of US congressmen has voiced great worry about Bangladesh’s worsening democracy and human rights situation, urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take action.
In a letter to the state secretary, 22 legislators, led by Senator Edward J Markey and Representatives Jim McGovern and Bill Keating, cited recent deadly crackdowns on student demonstrators by Bangladeshi security forces and argued for urgent action.
The legislators stated: “The Bangladeshi government has continued to take actions that undermine democratic processes, including by holding deeply flawed elections in January, failing to improve labor regulations, and, most recently, violently cracking down on demonstrations using guns, tear gas, and imposing a near-total shutdown of Internet services.”
Then they continued: “Given these alarming and continuing trends, we hope that you will lead the US department of state in upholding the shared democratic principles that have long underpinned the US-Bangladesh relationship.”
The congressmen also stated that the United States must condemn such acts of violence, preserve vital human freedoms such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and take measures to hold complicit government officials accountable for the aforementioned atrocities against Bangladeshis.
“In order to prevent the further deterioration of democracy in Bangladesh, the US must partner with the international community to support the right of the Bangladeshi people to a representative democratic government that upholds human rights and respects individual freedoms,” they added.
A broad coalition of senators and representatives, including Chris Van Hollen, Dick Durbin, Tim Kaine, Tammy Baldwin, Jeff Merkley, and Chris Murphy, as well as House members Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan, Joe Wilson, Dina Titus, Grace Meng, Gerry Connolly, Gabe Amo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nydia Velázquez, Dan Kildee, Barbara Lee, and Delegate James Moylan, co-signed the letter.
Senator Markey has previously expressed concerns about Bangladesh’s human rights situation. He has urged on the Bangladeshi government to stop using the legal system to attack government opponents and to stop persecuting Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus earlier this year.
