| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Despite the current turmoil, Bangladesh is adamant to stay a democratic state. To that end, the coming general elections are very important. There are some actions that we can take in supporting the country and the people. First, our Government should call on all parties to prevent their members committing violence and, instead, to maintain peace in Bangladesh. Secondly, and most importantly, we should support the elections so that they are fair and free. It is important that the UK expects to have a place on the EU mission for electoral assistance, such as monitoring, observing and facilitating during the elections. As the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, told us, in two weeks’ time a large delegation will leave Europe for Bangladesh, and I hope that our members will contribute toward ensuring that the elections are a success. Later, once a Government have been elected, perhaps we can work with them to strengthen the roots of democracy in the country. If we consider the turmoil created in the Middle East for the sake of bringing democracy to the region, we can understand how crucial it is to take immediate action to safeguard democracy in Bangladesh.
The noble Lord, Lord Avebury, and the noble Baroness, Lady Uddin, expressed many concerns. I support much that they have said. Breaches of human rights are a general concern. It is one of the most significant problems in Bangladesh. Numerous international organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have all raised their concerns at the widespread abuses of human rights in Bangladesh. Targets of violence have included Sufi places of worship, opposition rallies, cinemas, other cultural venues and court buildings. The victimisation and harassment of minorities such as Ahmadis, Hindus, tribal people in Chittagong Hill Tracts and Christians have also been an unwelcome feature of life in the country.
I am also concerned about the attacks on journalists. Bangladesh is facing a huge challenge. Since 1990, it has not seen military intervention, which we have seen in other countries in the region. For that reason, instead of pointing a finger at Bangladesh at this difficult time, noble Lords on all sides, whether in government or in opposition, should support it to enable it to see sense and to see that its only way forward is through democracy.
12.16 pm
Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, on his courage in introducing this debate at this time and on the wholly comprehensive way in which he introduced this difficult subject. I intervene briefly because I have come to see that Bangladesh may be part of the wider problem of violent Islamism which appears to be gaining ground over so much of the planet and which now seems to many of us, as we wake up to it, to be by far the greatest problem faced by western culture. No doubt we shall return to that great subject another day.
I have two instances to put to Her Majesty's Government where perhaps they have not been as forthright as they might have been in helping to avoid
30 Nov 2006 : Column 863
Like other noble Lords, I have read the European Parliament resolution on the problems in Bangladesh, which, like the opening speech of the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, is an extremely comprehensive document. Noble Lords will know that I am not always an ardent admirer of the European Union or any of its institutions, but on this occasion I have to congratulate the European Parliament wholeheartedly. I trust that its resolution will be taken very seriously by Her Majesty's Government and pursued with the utmost vigour, and that it will also be taken very seriously by the authorities in Bangladesh.
12.20 pm
Lord Chidgey: My Lords, I shall make a winding-up speech on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. I congratulate my noble friend Lord Avebury on securing this debate this afternoon, on an issue important to hundreds of thousands of British citizens in this country with strong ties to Bangladesh, and interests in its future flourishment.
Noble Lords have already noted that the United Nations, the NGO community and the media had all expressed their concerns earlier, in and through this House, about the threat to democracy in Bangladesh. With just 47 days before the general election in January, as my noble friend pointed out, this threat to security and democracy seems even greater.
My noble friend Lord Avebury commented on the continuing threat of violence and Talibanisation. His view that there is a threat of “Pakistanisation” has been challenged from other Benches but it is nevertheless a point worth recognising and debating. Some of his most important points, however, were the politicisation of the police, the outgoing Government’s manipulation of the democratic process through the appointment of the election adviser and the fact that the 14-party-strong opposition coalition is vigorously protesting; in itself, that creates more civil unrest. We must recognise his point about the nationwide blockade being launched on Sunday as an illustration of how serious events are becoming in Bangladesh.
Going forward with the general election without correcting the register is clearly an opportunity for widespread fraud. I cannot begin to contemplate what it would be like to go into a general election where 20 million voters are incorrectly recorded. It is beyond one’s imagination. The international community must make a judgment, as my noble friend says, on whether free and fair elections can be conducted under these circumstances.
30 Nov 2006 : Column 864
I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Uddin, on her contribution; she obviously speaks from the heart and personal knowledge of what happens in Bangladesh. I join with her in noting the achievements in Bangladesh, particularly the contribution that Nobel prize-winner Muhammad Yunus is making to society.
We all recognise that parliamentary elections will pit two groups against each other, as the noble Baroness pointed out, yet this is an opportunity to show the strength of democracy rather than being a cause of immediate concern. As the noble Baroness so eloquently expressed, we must show a way of overcoming the concerns of rising violence and deaths as part of the political process. Her concerns over the threat of radicalisation and subvention of democracy were also well expressed.
I also congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed, on his contribution. He spoke with great knowledge of the issues of the community in this country with associations with Bangladesh, and from his own position with roots in Pakistan—particularly important in this debate. I emphasise his well made point that many of the 300,000 Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom—making a huge contribution to its culture, economy and community—are able and willing to help their friends and relatives in Bangladesh through this period of turmoil. The will of the people of Bangladesh is to live in a democracy. With our counterparts, colleagues and our relations with the European Union mission, we have the expertise in this country to strengthen that process. We should do so through supporting democratic elections.
My own contribution starts with acknowledging that Bangladesh has been recognised as the world’s largest Muslim democracy for over two decades. One must contemplate, recognise, acknowledge and remark upon that as a great achievement. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party—the BNP—which currently leads the Government in a coalition, and the leading opposition party, the Bangladesh Awami League, have traditionally dominated the nation’s politics. It is not quite a two-party system, but something fairly close.
The standing of Bangladesh as a largely moderate and democratic country is under threat. Its status is under threat from a combination of political violence, weak governance, poverty, corruption and, indeed, rising Islamist militancy. Both leading political groups have a record when in opposition of resorting to direct action on the streets to effect control. Political violence is on the rise. As mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, a Minister and four others were killed and 70 injured at a rally early last year. That followed an attack on a BNP rally in Dhaka, which killed 22 and injured many more.
Political observers note that the rise in influence of Islamist fundamentalism in the political process is becoming a cause for concern. They point out that, under the BNP coalition Government, granting graduate-level status to madrassahs, despite widespread opposition from the political community, could accelerate Islamicisation of the civil service. That connotes how access to democracy can be subverted by people’s prejudices within their positions. There are indications
30 Nov 2006 : Column 865
When the BNP returned to power in 2001, it secured, with its alliance partners, 46 per cent of the parliamentary seats. Observers thought that the elections were generally free and fair, but the Awami League, now in opposition, claimed that they were rigged and has since regularly boycotted or walked out of parliamentary sessions. It is open to debate to what extent creating this parliamentary partial-vacuum has allowed the ruling coalition a freer rein than it otherwise would have had. Concerns are expressed about the role of the BNP coalition party, Jamaat-e-Islami, which aims to convert Bangladesh into an Islamic republic. Would it have had as much influence if there was stronger opposition in Parliament?
There are claims that bombings and violence are increasingly targeted at secular and leftist politicians, academics, journalists, minority groups and religious minorities, making Bangladesh increasingly difficult to govern democratically. There is a concern that, should Bangladesh become a failed state—and we all wish that not to happen—or a state controlled by Islamist fundamentalists, it would become a launching pad for further international terrorism.
Current events and those leading up to the elections planned for January next year will provide the strongest indication yet of Bangladesh’s future direction. In the last three national ballots the incumbent Government in Bangladesh have been defeated. Recent independent polls show a similar level of dissatisfaction, with increasing corruption, failure to provide basic services such as power and water, and serious price inflation. That has led to forecasts of the Awami League becoming the ruling party and sweeping back to power with a two-thirds majority, which is somewhat significant—provided, of course, that the electoral process is not corrupted and that the elections are free and fair.
The elections planned for 2007 are critical. On them depends Bangladesh’s ability to move forward, to become a dynamic economy and to eliminate poverty, which is the ambition of so many noble Lords. That will not happen if the elections are corrupted and if the world’s largest, longest-standing Muslim democracy is subverted. Your Lordships’ House, Her Majesty’s Government and the many thousands of British citizens with strong ties with Bangladesh, together with our counterparts throughout Europe, all have a part to play in protecting and supporting Bangladesh at this time.
12.29 pm
Lord Astor of Hever: My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, for bringing this question to the attention of the House. It is always a great pleasure to hear speeches by the noble Baroness, Lady Uddin, and the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed. As the noble Lord, Lord Chidgey, said, they speak with great authority on the subject. I also relished hearing my noble friend Lord Pearson congratulating the European Parliament.
30 Nov 2006 : Column 866
Although Bangladesh does not attract the attention that it deserves in the media, the stability of its political system is of great concern to other countries in the area and beyond. The noble Lord, Lord Chidgey, pointed out that a large number of people living in this country have a special interest in Bangladesh. I hope that this timely debate will go some way to ensuring that Bangladesh is given the priority that it deserves by our Government.
We have heard today about some very negative aspects of Bangladesh, but it has made great strides towards democracy during the past 15 years. The path from dictatorship to democracy is never easy. The high standard that Bangladesh has reached in a number of domestic and international fields is remarkable, even without considering the troubled history from which the country has emerged.
Bangladesh shows that it is possible for undemocratic countries to change. It is, as has been said, one of the largest Muslim-majority countries in the world and was a military dictatorship only 16 years ago. Yet it now has a secular constitution and is ranked above Italy for gender equality by the World Economic Forum. It has delivered economic growth at a rate higher than that of India and China and has, through that growth, reduced poverty from 70 per cent in 1971 to less than 42 per cent in 2004.
However, as we have heard during this debate, Bangladesh's democracy and stability are not unassailable and are in a particularly vulnerable position at the moment. The caretaker Government must deliver free and fair elections by the end of January. That is a very short time to improve the accuracy of the electoral register, and to ensure the participation of all major political parties and that the process goes through without violence or malpractice. As the largest development partner of Bangladesh, I am pleased to hear that Britain is helping to fund non-governmental organisations assisting with those aims. I hope that we can make a difference to their effectiveness.
Bangladesh also suffers from the long-running and, by now, familiar problems of powerful Islamic fundamentalist groups, accusations of human rights breaches by the police and an uncertain treatment of religious minorities. Unfortunately, attacks on and harassment of vulnerable communities are getting more frequent. What is more, the persecution appears to be encouraged, incited and legitimised by certain political parties in the governing coalition. What are the Government doing to put pressure on their Bangladeshi counterparts to end this persecution of the Ahmadiyya community?
Those problems are certain to be encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan as they, too, climb the long path out of tyranny. Lessons learned now will be invaluable there in future. Can the noble Baroness assure the House that sufficient attention and support is being given to Bangladesh at this time? It would be foolish either to allow the country to slip back into military dictatorship or to allow the instability to spread and become entrenched.
Bangladesh is also a member of the Commonwealth. As such, we have a unique and valuable organisation with which to support and encourage Bangladesh. For
30 Nov 2006 : Column 867
Finally, I wish the caretaker Government success in their endeavours to hold free and fair elections and again encourage Her Majesty's Government to do everything in their power to assist and support them in that work. Bangladesh has taken enormous steps forward recently and it would be disastrous if that painstaking work by so many were to go to waste.
Baroness Uddin: My Lords, before the noble Lord sits down, may I ask him whether he welcomes the deep interest of the Bangladeshi community in this debate and the presence of a hugely significant number of Bangladeshis both here and outside the House? Does he also agree that, alongside taking an interest in the democracy of Bangladesh, our eagerness should equally be applied to ensuring that our democratic process and structures take account of the need of Bangladeshis to have an input into our democratic process and structures: a Member of the Commons for instance?
Lord Astor of Hever: My Lords, I am grateful for the intervention of the noble Baroness. I made a point of looking up to the Gallery when I mentioned the large number of Bangladeshis living in our country and I certainly very much hope that they can play a big part in how democracy in this country works.
12.36 pm
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, for securing this debate and giving us the opportunity to draw attention to the important issue of elections in Bangladesh. As the debate has clearly demonstrated, this is a critical time for Bangladesh. The noble Lord, Lord Astor, correctly drew our attention to the fact that it is an extraordinary country that has shown that a country can move peacefully from dictatorship to democracy—a Muslim democracy. That is a truly fine achievement.
The elections scheduled for January 2007 will determine the country's future course and its ability to address the enormous challenges that it faces. It is right for the UK to engage. Britain is a good friend of Bangladesh and we believe in the potential of the country and its people. It has achieved sustained economic growth in recent years and the number of those living in abject poverty has been reduced. The work of Professor Yunus and Grameen in pioneering micro-credit for the poor, to which my noble friends correctly drew our attention, has been recognised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, something of which Bangladeshis can be rightly proud. We add our congratulations to the professor and his team.
Bangladesh is a country with great potential. However, its potential risks being buried. My noble friend Lord Ahmed spoke of turmoil in that country. Deeply rooted
30 Nov 2006 : Column 868
The noble Lord, Lord Pearson, raised issues relating to the threat of extremism. All departments in Her Majesty's Government are working closely together to address the threat of extremism. We hope that the sharing of our experience through partnership with the Government of Bangladesh on counter-terrorism is helping on that front. On Islamist parties, we think it important to maintain links with all parties that participate in the democratic process in Bangladesh. The noble Lord also raised the issue of the visa given to Delwar Hossain Sayeedi. We do not comment on individual visa applications, as the noble Lord will understand. All applications are considered in accordance with the immigration rules.
Corruption is a particular concern. Bangladesh has consistently figured at or near the bottom of Transparency International’s global annual corruption perceptions index. Deep-rooted corruption leads to decisions that are not in the public interest. In particular, it penalises the poor, who are always hit hardest by bad governance. It is a huge drag on the country’s economic growth. Every year, corruption costs Bangladesh 2 per cent of GDP. This extra 2 per cent could cut the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty from 36 per cent to 11 per cent by 2020. Of course, corruption cannot be eradicated overnight. There has to be political will. There is a need to create a greater awareness among the people that corruption is simply not acceptable. DfID and other international donors are working over the longer term on Bangladesh’s important governance agenda.
The next Government can address these major challenges only if they have a legitimate democratic mandate, secured through a fair, free, peaceful and accepted electoral contest; a popular expression of the people’s interests and a willingness to be held accountable. This is why the elections scheduled for January 2007 will be critical for Bangladesh. The coming weeks will shape the country’s future and its prospects for democratic, economic and human development. This Government have not shied away from their responsibility, as a friend of Bangladesh, to press this home. Indeed, it was the prominent theme of the visit to Bangladesh last week of my right honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister with responsibility for trade.
The noble Lord, Lord Avebury, was right to draw our attention to the violence and continuing threat of violence. I share his horror at the levels of bloodshed in recent weeks, during which we have witnessed at least 60 deaths and thousands injured. Violence has no place in a democratic society. Nothing is to be gained through more bloodshed and violent division: everyone loses. Violence tarnishes Bangladesh’s reputation as a democratic nation. It hinders development, degrades governance and harms the interests of the Bangladeshi people. The security of all voters, party activists, leaders
30 Nov 2006 : Column 869
I am also deeply disturbed by reports that women have been subjected to intimidation, and I understand that this is having a detrimental effect on their participation in campaigning. But it is political parties that have the real responsibility here. They must demonstrate leadership by publicly calling for peace and restraint and by curbing the violent excesses of activists, and they must set an example by resolving differences through consensus. We have stressed this message many times and, last week, my right honourable friend urged commitment from both party leaders—commitment that must continue after the election.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |