DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government pledges to lead by example in breaking the global culture of impunity by bringing to justice the perpetrators of sexual violence and crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Liberation.

Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali came up with the observation while addressing at the ‘Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ held in London from June 11-13. 

In his Statement at the London Summit, the Foreign Minister apprised, “43 years after 200,000 Bengali women were subjected to crimes against humanity of horrendous proportions, including systematic and widespread rape, sexual torture, enslavement and forced pregnancy by occupying military forces and their auxiliary forces in 1971, Bangladesh has taken the bold step to break the cycle of impunity and bring the offenders to justice in a domestic war crimes trials”. 

In a video statement given at the Summit, Mahmood Ali reiterated the present government’s political commitment to say ‘no’ to rape and other forms of sexual violence as well as impunity to crimes against humanity and work closely with the UK and all other global stakeholders including through UN Peacekeeping Operations in closing the impunity gap in justice and reparations to the victims of sexual violence.

Foreign Minister of Bangladesh was invited to the Summit by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Actress Angelina Jolie Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees along with five Bangladesh experts on women, peace and security during conflict to deliberate of prevention of sexual crimes during ongoing conflicts around the world and ending impunity for warzone rape through the adoption of a ‘Protocol on investigation and documentation of sexual crimes during conflicts’ for improving prosecution of offenders. 

A 5 member delegation to the Summit comprising Bangladesh High Commissioner in London and senior officials from the Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Armed Forces Division, Foreign Office and the Islamic Foundation assisted the Foreign Minister in the Ministerial meeting.

Later in a bilateral meeting, British Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office Baroness Syeeda Warsi thanked the present government for endorsing the ‘Global Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict’ last April and for its strong  commitment to the issue of preventing sexual violence during conflict both as an affected country and as a major peacekeeping country.  

A wide range of issues of bilateral interest including post-election priorities of the government, results of recent upazilla elections in Bangladesh and political and economic relations with UK and were discussed during the meeting where Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK M Mijarul Quayes and Director General(UN) of the Ministry were also present.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali attended a dinner meeting with some prominent Members of both Houses of the British Parliament, including members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh. Lord Sheikh, Baroness Pola Uddin, Baroness Usha Prashar, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Keith Vaz MP, Simon Danczuk MP and Stephen Timms MP were among the invitees present at the dinner. 

The Minister briefed them on the foreign policy priorities of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in its new term, including deepening of political and economic and trade relations with the UK and EU countries.

The Foreign Minister also briefed British Parliamentarians on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent successful visits to Japan and China and the new horizons of economic and investment cooperation with these two Asian powers for funding mega projects in Bangladesh to the tune of US$ 10 billions especially in the infrastructure and power sectors.  Referring to the 16 January 2014 European Parliament resolution Bangladesh, the Foreign Minister also apprised the Group that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands by her open invitation for dialogue with the BNP provided the latter dissociates itself from Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh.

 The British Parliamentarians appreciated the post-election briefing by the Foreign Minister and expressed their strong interest to work  closely with the Government of Bangladesh in its new term on a number of issues of mutual interest including Bangladeshi Diaspora in the UK, common cultural links between the Bangladesh and Britain, Bangladesh-UK trade and economic cooperation  Bangladesh’s political and economic relations with its neighbors and reaffirmed their support on the question of the War Crimes Trials to end impunity while expressing their concerns on death penalty.

BDST: 1430 HRS, JUNE 13, 2014