News Desk : dhakamirror.com
Visiting European Union special representative for human rights Eamon Gilmore on Tuesday said that human rights remaining at the centre of the relationship between the EU and Bangladesh were linked to trade and economic activities.
He said that human rights had been at the heart of their relationship with the country as consumers were becoming more aware of the human rights environment in a country from where the products were imported.
‘We have discussed the importance of the human rights that is very much at the centre of the relationship the European Union has with Bangladesh. It is also at the heart of economic relationship as well as trade preferences,’ Eamon Gilmore said after a meeting with state minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam at the state guesthouse Padma in the city.
He said that consumers were becoming more aware of issues of human rights and wanted to know about the environment from where the products were imported and in case of Bangladesh, products were mainly readymade garments and textiles.
He said that relations between business and human rights were getting closer.
‘We are living a world where consumers are more aware of human rights,’ said Eamon Gilmore, who arrived in Dhaka on a six day visit on Monday a day after a six-member election exploratory mission concluded their 16-day visit to determine whether the EU would send election observers to Bangladesh during the upcoming national election.
The special representative said that the mission would report to the EU high representative on its Bangladesh visit to decide whether it would send observers to Bangladesh.
Shahriar said that the ruling Awami League was committed to hosting a free and fair election and welcoming observers during the upcoming national polls to be held in December this year or in January next year.
‘Whenever we look at election, we not only look at what happen on the election day. We look at the pre-election environment, situation of the political parties, political debates and the situation of the media for the organisation of the whole election,’ Eamon Gilmore said.
He said that the EU wanted to see a free and fair election in Bangladesh conducted peacefully in a democratic way.
The EU representative also referred to the Digital Security Act while discussing human rights issues with the state minister.
The DSA was also discussed in another meeting he had with law minister Anisul Huq at his office at the secretariat.
Earlier on the day, the EU representative held a meeting with the National Human Rights Commission chairman at his office in the city.
