European Union and Bangladesh discuss cooperation to uphold human rights

The 11th meeting of the Sub-group on Good Governance and Human Rights of the EU-Bangladesh Joint Commission was held on 31 October in Dhaka under the framework of the EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement. The EU and Bangladesh reinforced their commitment to strengthen cooperation in the field of human rights, good governance and on-going reform process of the interim government, stated a press release.

The EU and Bangladesh recognised that the political transition the country is currently undergoing constitutes an unprecedented opportunity to make progress on human rights and good governance in Bangladesh. They paid tribute to the courage and determination of the students and members of the general public that stood up for their rights – and remembered those that lost their lives – during the popular uprising in July/August.

The EU welcomed the interim government’s strong commitment to advance reforms and take the necessary steps towards a democratic, pluralistic and inclusive Bangladesh that is grounded in the rule of law and human rights.

This commitment is notably reflected in Bangladesh’s accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), and in the creation of a Commission of Inquiry on enforced disappearances. Announcements to repeal or swiftly amend some of the legislations that have been used to crush dissent and curtail fundamental freedoms, such as the Cyber Security Act, are further signals of this commitment.

Bangladesh explained the process for carrying out structural reforms in several key areas, including through the recently established reform commissions. The EU welcomed the ongoing work of the commissions and underlined the importance of taking into account the realities and perspectives of the population in all its diversity, including women and minorities. The need for clarity over the further process of consultation and decision-making based on the commissions’ reports was discussed.

Paying respect to the victims and survivors of the violent crackdown on protestors in July/August, as well as prior human rights violations, the EU and Bangladesh discussed the importance of transitional justice. They agreed on the need to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. The EU underlined the importance of ensuring due process at all stages of the proceedings and expressed concern about the legal framework of the International Crimes Tribunal, which should be revised as soon as possible to bring it in line with international human rights standards.

The subgroup discussed a number of areas of reform, such as the justice sector, public administration, the security sector, and capacity building of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division. The EU and Bangladesh agreed on the need to address the human rights concerns of women, children, and persons belonging to minorities and marginalised groups. No one should live in fear of violence, harassment or discrimination. Law and order should be ensured for all, including the most vulnerable.

Following up on the EU’s long-standing engagement with Bangladesh on labour rights, The EU and Bangladesh agreed on the urgency and opportunity to make progress in this regard, namely by making labour inspections more effective. The EU recalled that the preferential access of Bangladeshi exports to the European market is premised on the respect of international human rights and labour standards. Moreover, the EU drew attention to recently adopted legislation that will reinforce the protection of human rights and labour rights, as well as improve environmental sustainability, throughout European supply chains, including for products from Bangladesh.

Agreeing on the need for thorough electoral reforms, they acknowledged the recommendations of the EU Election Expert Mission of January 2024 as a helpful reference for Bangladesh to rebuild public trust in the electoral process and ensure that international standards on elections are upheld.

The EU reiterated its great appreciation for Bangladesh temporarily hosting 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya people on its territory. Measures to best meet the needs of the Rohingya people and host communities, as well as perspectives for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return were discussed. The EU and Bangladesh expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflicts in Rakhine that is seriously affecting the commencement of Rohingya repatriation.

The EU encouraged the government of Bangladesh to further cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and to issue a standing invitation to UN Special Procedures in order to benefit from relevant expertise in the context of the country’s political transition. Bangladesh shared that the promotion and protection of human rights of all citizens is one of the priorities of the interim Government and it is working closely with the OHCHR in this regard.

At the invitation of interim Government, the UN is undertaking an independent UN Fact Finding Mission regarding the human rights violations committed in the context of the July-August student-led mass movement. Bangladesh underlined that the interim government would give due consideration to the recommendations of the UN Fact Finding Mission. They both expressed the expectation that, with Bangladesh’s renewed commitment to human rights and democracy, collaboration and alignment in multilateral human rights fora would increase.

The sub-group will report to the Bangladesh-EU Joint Commission that will address all areas of bilateral cooperation on Monday 4 November.

The sub-group was co-chaired by the head of the Bangladeshi Delegation, Mohammad Mohiuddin, head of the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs division at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and by the head of the European Union´s delegation, Rensje Teerink, head of Division for South Asia at the European External Action Service (EEAS). They were also joined by observers from the Embassies of the EU Member States in Dhaka.