UK lauds Bangladesh's progress amid political turmoil
Despite the current "political conflict" between Awami League and BNP, UK parliament appreciated of the economy in Bangladesh.
"Despite the almost constant political turmoil, Bangladesh's economy continues to perform remarkably well. While there remain many challenges ahead, good progress has also been made on social development," a report of the House of Commons said today.
Click to read the full report here ⇒ Political Crisis in Bangladesh January 2015 (pdf)
Recently, the UK, US and EU condemned the violence and choking of democratic space that sparked centering the first anniversary of January 5 election earlier this month.
They urged all sides to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue.
The UK, through its Bangladesh mission, urged all parties for "restraint and moderation, respect the rule of law, and to come together in a dialogue to break the chain of violence".
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been widely accused of playing fast and loose with democracy," the report published by the House of Commons today said.
"But the sincerity of Khaleda Zia's commitment to democracy is also being questioned by many analysts. Some wonder whether she may actually be hoping that her current strategy forces the army to intervene once again and oust the AL government," it said.
"As yet, there is no sign of this happening. Perhaps understandably, given how treacherous the waters are, Western donors have held back from imposing sanctions of any kind."
Regarding the war crimes trials, the report said "the judicial merits of the International Crimes Tribunal, few would contest that its operations have exacerbated the political conflict between the two battling Begums."
Published: 11:39 am Thursday, January 22, 2015
Last modified: 3:27 pm Thursday, January 22, 2015
TAGS: Politics BNP Awami League arson violence UK political violence Foreign Affairs political turmoil United Kingdom bilateral relations 20-party alliance
http://thedailystar.net/uk-lauds-bangladesh-s-progress-amid-political-turmoil-61175
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