DHAKA: European Parliament passed a resolution urging all the political parties of Bangladesh not to boycott the next parliamentary elections.

The resolution was passed after an hour of debate over the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh and its consequences on democracy, human rights and the country at the European Parliament in Strasburg of France on Thursday night.

On Tuesday (November 19), a proposal with 17-point, on finding out the way to overcome the ongoing political crisis of Bangladesh, was placed at the European Parliament, worlds largest one of its kind.

Besides the resolution on Bangladesh, the parliament passed two more resolutions on expressing concern about the situation of migrant workers in Qatar and calling for fair justice in Bolivia.

A press release on the resolutions said: “MEPs call on all groups and individuals to exercise tolerance and restraint, especially in the lead-up to, during, and after the elections. The Bangladesh Election Commission should organise and oversee the next general elections in a fully transparent manner, and the political parties should refrain from any violence during the electoral process.”

In the resolution, the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) urged to form an interim government, who will be impartial and acceptable to all the political parties and international community.

In the debate, the MEPs discussed at length over the army-backed interim government of 2007-08, the background of the 15th amendment of the Constitution of the People`s Republic of Bangladesh, the impasse, sufferings and loss of lives due to the hartal enforced by opposition BNP-led 18-party, about the impartial city corporation elections and the verdict of BDR mutiny.

The resolution said that EU should urge all the parties to participate in the elections so that people can exercise their democratic right of choosing from candidates and to continue the great achievements in the life expectancy, vaccination, TB control, decreasing the death rate of mothers’ during childbirth and children under five years of age, disaster management, women empowerment and almost miraculous achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The resolution by MEPs also said that they should acknowledge the necessity of responsibility of crimes conducted during the liberation war in 1971, fair trials for those crimes by ICT and the importance of social reunion.

It also said to urge the Government of Bangladesh to let all the humanitarian organizations work without any constraints and to slam all the death sentences whether it be the verdicts of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) or BDR mutiny.

They also should welcome the joint effort of the government of Bangladesh, labourers, garment owners and International Labour Organization (ILO) to improve the working conditions in the garments’ factories in Bangladesh.

BDST: 1106 HRS, NOV 22, 2013
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