The Foreign Ministry has issued a joint corrective statement regarding the confusion that arose following a statement made by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.
After a meeting with the European Parliament delegation on Wednesday, Shahriar said: “The delegation did not express any concern over the human rights situation.”
The following day the delegation controverted the comment of the state minister.
The head of the delegation, Cristian Dan Preda, after a meeting with National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman yesterday said he had seen the news.
“My declaration is very simple – we are here because we are very concerned about the human rights situation,” Preda said.
His remarks prompted the ministry to issue the corrective statement that said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the visiting members of the European Parliament would like to clarify that human rights were the main subject of the one-hour meeting held on February 18.”
The statement also said labour rights, civil and political rights, and the suffering of the public in the current climate of violence were highlighted by the European Parliament members as the focus of their visit to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the European Union Embassy in Dhaka also issued a separate press release that said the purpose of the delegation's visit was to assess the current human rights situation in the country, focusing on the areas of labour rights, and children's, women's, and minority rights.
The head of the delegation said: “We were here because of our concerns regarding the human rights situation. We need Bangladesh as a strong partner. Respect for human rights and democracy will be an essential component for Bangladesh to realise its full potential in order to reach its declared goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2021.”
During discussions, the delegation members paid special attention to civil and political rights against the background of violence generated by the current political impasse, the press release said.
The delegation, having met government and opposition representatives, urged an immediate end to the increasing violence and echoed calls from the international community and Bangladeshi civil society to solve the political crisis, it added.
“In follow-up to the European Parliament resolution of September 2014, the delegation raised the parliament’s continued concerns regarding enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.”
Freedom of expression was also a matter of concern, while peace and stability should not be restored at the expense of civil and political rights, the statement said.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar of a pluralistic and vibrant democracy, and the delegation members underlined the need for consolidating democratic institutions.”
The European Parliament considers human rights and democracy an essential element of the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the EU, in accordance with Article 1 of the 2001 Bilateral Cooperation Agreement, it added.
The delegation arrived in Dhaka on Monday night and met Speaker of Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Law Minister Anisul Haque, leaders of the Awami League and the BNP, trade union and business leaders, environmental activists, representatives of local and international civil society, and members of minority groups.
Yesterday, the European delegation held a meeting with Nobel Peace laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.