The United Nations has asked Bangladesh political leaders to stop “destructive brinkmanship” cautioning that perpetrators of political or election related violence including political leadership had faced prosecution in other situations.
“Whatever their differences, political leaders on both sides must halt their destructive brinkmanship, which is pushing Bangladesh dangerously close to a major crisis. Instead, they must fulfil their responsibility and use their influence to bring this violence to an immediate halt and seek a solution to this crisis through dialogue,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement on Sunday.
Pointing out that Bangladesh was a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, she said: “In other situations, we have seen cases of political or election related violence where the perpetrators of such acts including political leadership have faced prosecution.”
In a separate statement EU High Representative Catherine Ashton expressed concern about intimidation and confrontation in the form of hartals and about the arrest of politicians and human rights defenders.
The European Union had also urged to end violence and find a political solution through dialogue which is essential to allow a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible election to take place, the statement said.
“This can only happen if all sides can agree to move ahead in the interests of the country’s future,” Ashton said on the preparation for general elections in Bangladesh.
The statements came as the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP are still at loggerheads over the arrangement of election now slated for January 5.
At least 28 persons were killed in political violence in the past two weeks during countrywide blockades enforced by the main opposition BNP and its allies.
The UN official Pillay said she was deeply worried by the rising levels of political violence in Bangladesh as the major parties “fail to resolve their differences over the conduct of elections.”
In recent weeks, supporters of both parties have been clashing with each other and with the security forces. Scores of people have been killed, hundreds injured, and there has been extensive destruction of property, she said.
“In the past week, we have seen acts as extreme as protesters throwing Molotov cocktails onto public buses without allowing the occupants to escape, leaving women and children with horrific burns,” the high commissioner said. “Such levels of violence are deeply shocking for the Bangladeshi people, the vast majority of whom want and deserve a peaceful and inclusive election.”
Pillay also expressed concern about the ongoing arrest and detention of key opposition leaders by the law enforcement agencies. “This can further inflame the situation and rule out any possibility for engagement and dialogue between the main political parties.”
Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote to the two top leaders several times and sent his emissary to broker a deal between the two political camps over election-time arrangement.
US Secretary of State John Kerry also wrote to two leaders to find a solution through a dialogue.
In his latest effort, Ban Ki-moon is sending, one of his top deputies, UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to Bangladesh and he is expected to arrive on December 6.
A foreign ministry official said there was indication that EU representative Ashton might also come in the first half of December.
Ashton in her statement said the EU was ready to consider sending election observers as it did in 2008 but this would “depend on the political and security situation in Bangladesh”.
The EU called on the leaders of all political parties to agree on a mutually acceptable formula so as to facilitate the holding of elections which fully reflect the wishes of the people.