The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

In line with the European Union (EU)'s guidelines on human rights, Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka Bea Ten Tusscher Tuesday said the EU is keeping watch on the present human rights situation in Bangladesh.

The EU in its human rights guidelines said, in the event of serious human rights violation, EU can take negative measures including suspension of cooperation programmes with third countries and other sanctions to them. "Human rights issue is a continuous process. We are watching the human rights situation here in Bangladesh as we have to report our headquarters about the issue,' the Dutch Ambassador told reporters after atending a roundtable at the Hotel Sheraton.

She said "the money what we spent in the third countries come from the European taxpayers.

So, they want to know about the HR situation in that country where we spend money."

The Embassy of the Netherlands and the European Commission Delegation arranged the roundtable on EU human rights guidelines which covered six key concerns namely death penalty, torture, human rights defenders, human rights dialogue, children and armed conflict and international humanitarian law.

Former caretaker government advisor and executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) Advocate Sultana Kamal, Dr Shahdeen Malik of BRAC Law School and Barrister Sara Hossain presented three key notes respectively on human rights defenders, death penalty and fight against torture.

German Ambassador Frank Meyke was among others present

Addressing the roundtable Ambassador Bea Ten said the EU is keen to support efforts in Bangladesh to further strengthen human rights. "Respect for human rights is indispensable to the fostering of a democratic, peaceful prosperous and well-governed country," she said. The envoy said the guidelines are helpful in terms of providing a common EU approach in addressing human rights concerns with governments and civil society across the world, including here in Bangladesh.

EU Ambassador and head of delegation in Dhaka Dr Stefan Frowein said Bangladesh and the EU are both founded on respect for human rights, which has been defined in the EC-Bangladesh Trade and Cooperation Agreement as an essential element of the bilateral relationship. "The European Commission devotes a quarter of its development funding in Bangladesh to good governance and human rights," he said. The EU guidelines require EU to urge third countries to outlaw torture, accede to relevant instruments, co-operate with international mechanisms (UN special Rapporteur) adopt safeguard for places of detention, combat impunity for officials who commited torture and provide reparation for victims of torture. About the death penalty, the guidelines said EU wants universal abolition of death penalty and it urges third countries where death penalty is retrained to abide by minimum standards pending abolition. The guidelines also said where relevant, the EU will raise the issue of death penalty in its dialogue with the third countries whether these have a properly functioning and open Judicial system.