British MP Rupa Huq raises question on Bangladesh situation in UK parliament

Rupa Huq, a member of parliament (MP) for ruling Labour Party in the United Kingdom raised a question in their parliament on the situation that has been created in Bangladesh centering the movement demanding reforms of quota in the government jobs.

Rupa Huq demanded to know UK government’s stand on the Bangladesh situation at the parliament on Thursday local time.

Rupa Huq of Bangladeshi origin said, “Recent days have seen protests in Rome, Paris, the city of Manchester and Trafalgar Square in London over what’s been going on in Bangladesh. A three figure number of students, protesters killed. We don’t know how many because they have turned the internet off. I wonder if I can press again, can we have an urgent government statement on our (UK government’s) position on this? We have a historic unique role in this situation.”

In response, spokesperson for the government in the parliament MP Lucy Powell said that Rupa has raised an important point. As she had said earlier, they are deeply concerned about the violence in recent days and the loss of life is unacceptable. The right to protest must be restored and the access to internet should also to be restored. And, they urged all sides to have restraint in this regard.  

She also said, “I know the foreign secretary and foreign office minsters would want to update the House. Obviously, we are running out of time before the recess but all possible steps would be taken to ensure that these important updates are brought before the recess.”

Earlier, another British MP of Bangladeshi origin Apsana Bregum on 22 July raised an ‘early day motion’ at the UK Parliament in connection to the incident of clash and deaths centering the quota reform movement in Bangladesh. So far, 22 British MPs including former Labour Party leaders and current independent MP Jeremy Corbyn have signed it.