22 US Lawmakers Express Concern Over Bangladesh Situation in Letter to Secretary of State

In a significant move, 22 members from both the lower house of the House of Representatives and the upper house of the Senate have addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, voicing their concerns over the current state of affairs in Bangladesh, particularly around the quota reform movement. Maryland State Senator Chris Van Hollen confirmed this in a recent statement.

The letter, co-signed by several senators and representatives, including Senator Edward J. Markey, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Kim Kaine, Senator Jeff Merkley, Senator Chris Murphy, and Representatives Jim McGovern, Bill Keating, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan, Joe Wilson, Deanna Titus, Grace Meng, Gerry Connolly, Gabby Amo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nydia Velázquez, Dan Kildee, Barbara Lee, and James Moylan, raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the national elections held in January, the repression of workers, and the use of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to quell protests.

The US administration had previously banned the RAB in 2017 over allegations of human rights violations, a ban that remains in place.

The lawmakers expressed their concerns in the letter, stating, "We are writing this letter to you with deep concern about the current democracy and human rights situation in Bangladesh. We are concerned about the recent conflict between student activists in Bangladesh and the country's ruling government, as the election that brought the current government to power on January 7, 2024, has been widely criticized and questioned by the United States, the United Nations, and other observers."

The letter continues, "Various actions of the ruling government of Bangladesh are undermining the country's democratic process. Through flawed elections, the ruling government has failed to adopt policies that are favorable to the workers of the country and most recently there have been incidents of shutting down internet services in the entire country for almost a week with the use of guns and tear gas to quell the movement of students demanding reform of quotas in government jobs."

Highlighting the severity of the situation, the lawmakers noted, "At least 170 people have been killed, over a thousand injured and thousands arrested in this movement so far. In addition to riot police, the government used the elite RAB force, which the US had sanctioned for alleged human rights violations, to quell the protests. We have come to know that the government has ordered curfew across the country and orders to shoot people on sight during the curfew."

The letter emphasizes the longstanding relationship between the United States and Bangladesh, built on mutual respect and principles of rule of law, democracy, and human rights. "Since independence in 1971, the country has achieved significant success in improving the quality of life of its citizens with the cooperation and support of the United States and other international partners. Over the past 50 years, the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States has deepened and the size of the Bangladeshi community living in the United States has also grown."

Concluding the letter, the lawmakers urge Secretary Blinken to increase efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Bangladesh, stating, "In this context, dear Secretary of State, we would like to call on you to redouble the efforts of the United States in the country to advance democracy and improve the human rights situation in Bangladesh. The situation in Bangladesh is becoming alarming day by day."

The letter underscores the growing concern within the international community regarding Bangladesh's political and human rights landscape, calling for immediate attention and action.