Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-16-Speech-4-187"
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"en.20061116.24.4-187"2
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".
Mr President, it was a fortnight ago that it all started, when the outgoing prime minister of Bangladesh, Khaleda Zia, made a controversial address on the television, whereupon violent clashes broke out in the capital, Dhaka, in which three people were killed and hundreds injured.
The opposition charged Zia with filling the key posts in her interim government with sympathisers, accused the head of the electoral commission of being biased and asserted that there were 13 million invalid names in the electoral register. More violence broke out at the beginning of this week, with all transit routes to Dhaka by land or water being blockaded, journalists attacked and seriously wounded, 20 000 members of the security forces firing tear gas and rubber bullets in street battles, all of which left seventeen people dead and thousands injured.
There are increasing attacks by Islamists on adherents of other religions, and I condemn, on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, the acts of bloody violence and the constant assaults by Islamic extremists on religious minorities such as Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus, and the suppression of press freedom, which other Members have already denounced.
Those in power – who belong to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party – and the Awami League opposition, must bury their personal animosities once and for all and embark upon purposeful dialogue. A date has been set for elections, and it must be kept to; the electoral commission must start preparing for them now, and that means, above all else, making sure that the electoral register is correct.
The conditions currently prevailing – which are tantamount to civil war – must be normalised as soon as possible, with the Islamists being disarmed. The citizens must be enabled to avail themselves of their right to vote without fear of reprisals in order that democracy may be given a chance.
I welcome the Commission’s willingness to send election observers to Bangladesh, and this House should resolve to do likewise."@en1
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