bdnews24.com :
The UK says it does not agree with the Bangladesh government’s explanation over the recent killings of secular writers, bloggers, rights activists and members of religious minorities.
Several British MPs expressed their concerns over Bangladesh situation during Tuesday’s session at the UK Parliament. MP Simon Danczuk asked whether it was time for “some form of sanctions to try to get Sheikh Hasina to hold a proper general election as soon as possible.”
Replying queries, Minister of State Hugo Swire said that there was a ‘disagreement’ over Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holding ‘opposition’ responsible for the killings and blaming the victims for ‘insulting Islam.’
“…we think the problem goes beyond that,” said Swire, the minister of state for the foreign and commonwealth office. Bangladesh has seen a wave of attacks on secular writers and bloggers as well as on members of religious minorities since the February 2015 murder of writer Avijit Roy on the Dhaka University campus.
Middle East-based militant group the Islamic State and the al Qaeda have reportedly claimed the murders, but Bangladesh government holds ‘home-grown’ extremists responsible.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been blaming the opposition for the killings for what she claims is an attempt to ‘destabilise the country’. The foreign minister echoed during his recent meeting with envoys to EU countries in Bangladesh. According to Minister AH Mahmood Ali, it’s the Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliates, who are orchestrating the murders, to ‘tarnish’ Bangladesh’s image in the global arena.
The UK says it does not agree with the Bangladesh government’s explanation over the recent killings of secular writers, bloggers, rights activists and members of religious minorities.
Several British MPs expressed their concerns over Bangladesh situation during Tuesday’s session at the UK Parliament. MP Simon Danczuk asked whether it was time for “some form of sanctions to try to get Sheikh Hasina to hold a proper general election as soon as possible.”
Replying queries, Minister of State Hugo Swire said that there was a ‘disagreement’ over Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holding ‘opposition’ responsible for the killings and blaming the victims for ‘insulting Islam.’
“…we think the problem goes beyond that,” said Swire, the minister of state for the foreign and commonwealth office. Bangladesh has seen a wave of attacks on secular writers and bloggers as well as on members of religious minorities since the February 2015 murder of writer Avijit Roy on the Dhaka University campus.
Middle East-based militant group the Islamic State and the al Qaeda have reportedly claimed the murders, but Bangladesh government holds ‘home-grown’ extremists responsible.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been blaming the opposition for the killings for what she claims is an attempt to ‘destabilise the country’. The foreign minister echoed during his recent meeting with envoys to EU countries in Bangladesh. According to Minister AH Mahmood Ali, it’s the Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliates, who are orchestrating the murders, to ‘tarnish’ Bangladesh’s image in the global arena.
