The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has approved a resolution on ‘the critical need for political reform in Bangladesh’, paving the way for a full Senate hearing on the motion. The resolution on Bangladesh asks the US Senate to condemn the political violence and urges political leaders in Bangladesh to engage directly in a dialogue towards free, fair, and credible polls.
It also calls on leaders to support ongoing efforts by UN envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to foster political dialogue and urges the government to ensure judicial independence, and restore the independence of the Grameen Bank.
“As the Foreign Relations Committee has approved the resolution, the full Senate will now hold a hearing on this resolution,” a diplomatic source told The Independent on Thursday, adding that the timing for the Senate hearing was yet to be determined.
In a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, the Foreign Relations Committee endorsed the resolution titled ‘A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the critical need for political reform in Bangladesh, and for other purposes’.
Earlier on December 11, Senators Richard Durbin, Michael B Enzi and Christopher S Murphy submitted the resolution, which was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee for screening.
“Our embassy in Washington is following the event,” said an official concerned.
The resolution asks the Senate to condemn the political violence in Bangladesh and urges political leaders to engage directly and substantively in a dialogue toward free, fair, and credible elections. It also asks that Senate expresses great concern about the continued political deadlock. The resolution calls for the Senate to urge leaders in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and access of observers in polls and support ongoing efforts by UN envoy. It calls on the Senate to urge Bangladesh to ensure judicial independence, end harassment of human rights activists, and restore the independence of the Grameen Bank.
-With The Independent input
