Alan Duncan
Bangladesh needs a free, fair and respectable election maintaining the highest democratic standards without any violence as the world will be watching Bangladesh very closely, said a visiting British minister in Dhaka on Wednesday.
“The time limit is obviously approaching. By this time, the election needs to have been held. It’s essential the election is conducted without any violence. The world will be looking at it,” Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan told a press conference.
Bangladesh’s influence is growing around the world and therefore more people than ever before will be watching Bangladesh very closely, the minister said
He said there are, of course, a few uncertainties on how the rules will be applied. “But I do hope there’ll be sufficient arrangements between the parties… so that election could be conducted.”
British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Gibson was also present at the press conference held at British High Commission Staff Amenities Centre in the city.
Responding to a question, Duncan said the election needs to be conducted on the rules everybody agreed on. “Everyone needs to be agreed on rules that make constitution works to have election which everybody respects.”
Responding to a question, the British minister said, “I’ve said we’re very happy to offer any advice, if we’re invited about how our system works.”
Responding to question about Tarique Rahman’s status in the UK, he said, “We don’t comment on individual’s asylum matters. This is not the decision for politicians… we’ve independent judiciary…”
On Rana Plaza issue, he said, “Safety and standards must be made to catch up with the rapid growth in the garment sector, which is a massive success story and must not be allowed to go sour.”
The UK minister said the industry has been built from nothing in the past 30 years and now needs to be turned into a long-term development success, which means that urgent actions are needed across the sector.
“Our own high street brands must assume responsibility for their products, from the store right back to the sewing machine, and the UK is ready to help make this happen,” Duncan added.
He informed that he has visited the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed in Savar, which receives funding from UK aid, to meet the victims of the Rana Plaza collapse.
“I have been incredibly moved by the courage of the people I have met today, many of whom lay trapped for days and sustained appalling injuries…the Rana Plaza factory collapse was devastating in its scale and, along with factory fires, must be taken as a wake-up call to all of us.”
The minister announced that the UK government is ready to commit funding towards initiatives that see buyers, manufacturers, workers, NGOs and the government of Bangladesh work together to agree a set of common compliance standards, bringing accountability to the supply chain, health and safety to workers and robustly enforced construction standards to the buildings in which they work.
He said the use of the existing UK funds to improve inspections and the enforcement of building standards, including providing a team of UK specialists to review the building inspection system.
The UK Minister also announced new UK supports for a programme of skills training to 100,000 low-skilled garment and construction workers, improving overall productivity and helping to produce higher-value products.
The minister visited the Babylon factory which produces clothes for Tesco and other UK buyers and met members of the garment industry’s buyers’ forum to discuss what could be done to address some of the fundamental problems.
He also raised the issue at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Source: The Daily Star
Every jackal joins the howl of a lead jackal – after US has made it clear its tilt towards current government, most Western countries especially those that belong to its hegemonic coalition and regards AL has an willing partner in the project are shying away from supporting a neutral caretaker government provision that the current opposition wants and the present government fought for and enacted few years ago but now dumped.
I can see the beam of light in the cave of national election if all the parties like the statement made by Alan Duncan. As a free citizen bearing tension and anxiety since long, I want to see the cloudless serene sky.