Bangladesh has faced increasingly difficult human rights challenges in recent years, notes the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission:
The country’s decision to open its border to approximately 800,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing gross human rights violations in Burma has been applauded by the international community. On the other hand, the Bangladeshi government’s targeting of political opposition groups and proponents of free speech threatens to shutter civil society and increase extremism. With parliamentary elections only a few months away, political violence and a wide range of other human rights abuses are on the rise throughout the country.
At a forthcoming briefing, panelists will analyze the human rights situation within this complex environment and offer recommendations for what more the U.S. government and the international community can do to encourage Bangladesh to protect individual rights and freedoms and ensure that the upcoming elections are free and fair.
Elections and Human Rights in Bangladesh
Thursday, November 15, 2018
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
2200 Rayburn House Office Building
Capitol Hill
Washington, DC.
Panelists:
John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Waris Husain, Policy Analyst, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Laura Bramon, Senior Program Manager, Child Protection and Education, World Vision US
Moderator:
Mona Dave, Senior Program Officer, Asia, National Endowment for Democracy
Opening Remarks
Rep. Randy Hultgren, Co-Chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
This briefing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. For any questions, please contact Jamie Staley (for Mr. Hultgren) at (202-226-1516) or Jamie.Staley@mail.house.gov or Kimberly Stanton (for Mr. McGovern) at 202-225-3599 or Kimberly.Stanton@mail.house.gov.
