The European Union would attach the improvement of human rights in Bangladesh with its aid programme from the next year, officials said.
The EU a leading trade partner and source of development aid for the country would also attach importance to the food security of households led by vulnerable women, they said.
Officials said it was not surprising for the EU to attach priority to the human rights in the wake of 156 citizens disappearing and 462 others being killed in last four years allegedly by law enforcement agencies.
Leaders of the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh, a coalition of 19 civil rights and development organizations, told New Age that the country’s overall human rights records deteriorated last year.
A EU document, ‘The Development Cooperation Instrument for the years 2014-2020’ said that the EU would also give importance to creation of job for skilled human resources.
The document was given to the government early this month.
Mohammad Shafiqul Azam, additional secretary of the economic relations division, said the EU had been giving priority to the promotion of the human rights in Bangladesh for long.
The ERD has sought opinions from the other ministries and divisions to prepare a reply to the EU, he said.
He hoped that the EU would continue its cooperation for the improvement of the country’s human rights situation.
The EU’s future aid programme calling for improvement in human rights condition in Bangladesh has a strong link with its latest suggestions to Bangladesh to improve workers’ safety in the country’s apparel factories.
More than 1,400 workers were killed in two factory accidents in last eight months prompting the EU to take a number of time-bound action plans, non-implementation of which might cost preferential entry of Bangladeshi products in EU markets.
More than 50 per cent Bangladesh’s exports worth over $27 billion in the just ended fiscal was hipped to EU markets.
CPD director and trade expert Mustafizur Rahman said the aid from the EU countries decreased, but the trade increased in recent years.
He said government should not undermine the EU observations.
The EU document said the EU development programme for Bangladesh was based on the country’s national development policies.
It, however, observed that Bangladesh’s national policies under its sixth fifth-year plan were silent on addressing certain EU concerns.
The issues of concern to EU include: CHT peace treaty, judicial reform, justice for the poor, all linked to the human right condition.
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, also a leader of the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh, said Bangladesh would face tough time ahead because of political uncertainty and growing concern over the human right condition.
He said the citizens deserved better human rights 40 years after the country’s independence.
-With New Age input
