Twenty-two US senators and Congress members have written a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, seeking his intervention to take an international initiative in this nregard.
They also expressed their concern about democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.
In the letter written on Friday, they made several allegations against the Bangladesh government. The letter is authored by US Democrat Senator Edward J. Markey, Representative Jim McGovern and Bill Keating. The letter was published on Senator Edward J. Markey`s own website.
"Most recently, Bangladesh has suffered one of the worst outbreaks in violence in years as the government cracked down on students protesting a quota system that allocates up to 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans that fought in the country’s war of independence in
1971.13 Police, protestors, opposition activists, and pro-government supporters clashed in the capital of Dhaka and cities across the country, with at least 170 people killed, thousands arrested, and thousands injured.14 In responding to the student demonstrations, the Bangladeshi authorities
deployed the previously sanctioned paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion; condoned the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and sound grenades by riot police against protestors; imposed a strict, military-enforced curfew and “shoot-on-sight” orders; and shut down Internet and mobile
services across Bangladesh," the letter reads.
"Given these alarming and continuing trends, we hope that you will lead the US Department of State in upholding the shared democratic principles that have long underpinned the US-Bangladeshi relationship. The United States must condemn all acts of violence, ensure critical civil liberties, such as the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, are protected, and take action to hold complicit government officials accountable for the above abuses against the Bangladeshi people. Moreover, in order to prevent the further deterioration of democracy in Bangladesh, the United States must partner with the international community to support the right of the Bangladeshi people to a representative democratic government that upholds human rights and respects individual freedoms.," it concludes.
On July 18, the US it has been watching and monitoring the violence that broke out during the student protests in Dhaka very closely and it condemns any violence against peaceful protests.
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