European Parliament delegation urges Bangladesh to 'stand together' against extremists

The European Parliament’s South Asia delegation has urged the government authorities, political parties and civil society in Bangladesh to “stand together” against the acts of violence committed by extremists.

Jean Lambert, Chair of the Delegation, in a statement also said the perpetrators of the recent murders “must be swiftly brought to justice”.
 
“In this regard, the EP Delegation calls on the government to ensure the respect of democratic principles, such as already expressed in the recent EP Resolution (2015) on freedom of expression in Bangladesh,” she said.
 
The statement followed the recent murders of LGBT rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy.
 
They expressed “deep concern and condemnation” over the ongoing killings in Bangladesh.
 
 “Since February last year, militants have killed several secular or atheists writers and members of religious minority groups.
 
 “Only this month there is in addition to yesterday's killings the murder of a law student and an English language professor,” read the statement.
 
 “While expressing our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, we also encourage and welcome the peaceful demonstrations of students condemning this violence”.