The second session of the 12th parliament will be held on May 2. This information was given in a letter signed by Abdus Salam, Senior Secretary of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat on Monday (April 15). "The President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday summoned the 2nd session of the 12th parliament at 5pm on May 2 at the Parliament Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The first session of the 12th Parliament began on January 30 and prorogued on March 5. Two bills were passed during the 22-day session. Earlier, The ruling party Awami League won 223 out of 300 seats in the 12th parliamentary elections held on January 7. The opposition Jatiya Party got 11 seats. Independent candidates won 62 seats.  

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan both are in Sylhet to play the ongoing BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) match. For that reason the parliamentarians could not attend the maiden session.   The criceters are elected as MPs in the 12th national parliamentary Election, Shakib from Magura-1 and Mashrafe from Narail-2 constituency. However, The first session of the 12th National Parliament began on Tuesday (January 30) from 3 pm.  

The ruling party Awami League has formed the government with newly elected MPs after getting the majority seats in the 12th national parliamentary election. The first session of Parliament started on Tuesday (January 30) at 3 pm. Deputy Speaker Advocate Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku is presiding over the session. Earlier, Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury said, The session will begin on the first day under the chairmanship of the Deputy Speaker as the decision to re-elect Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as Speaker has been made. Awami League won 223 parliamentary seats in the 12th national parliamentary election. The opposition Jatiya Party won 11 seats. Independent candidates won 62 seats. Besides, Workers Party, Jasad and Kalyan Party got 1 seat each. Polling for the postponed Naogaon-2 seat will be held on February 12.

The independent Members of Parliament (MPs) are awaiting Prime Minister and parliamentary leader Sheikh Hasina's decision regarding their role in the parliament.  The Prime Minister has extended an invitation to the independent candidates to her official residence, Ganabhaban.     The independent MPs hope to receive guidance during the Ganabhaban meeting regarding their parliamentary roles and the allocation of reserved seats for women. They anticipate directives from the Prime Minister regarding their parliamentary functions and the distribution of reserved seats for women.     The Awami League has secured the government for the fourth consecutive term by winning in 223 constituencies. The newly elected MPs took their oaths on 10 January, and on the same day, they elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the parliamentary leader. The new cabinet was sworn in the following day.    There have been numerous discussions in the political arena regarding the formation of the opposition and the role of independent candidates in the parliament.   Many independent MPs have expressed their willingness to act according to the Prime Minister's suggestions.   However, at the policymaking level within the Awami League, there is discussion about some members acting as independent MPs without formally joining the party in parliament.  

Resolutions are not enough, yet they are formal acknowledgments by international authorities. This one also denounces the cases of Ding Yuande and Ma Ruimei, which “Bitter Winter” contributed to expose. While the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) didn’t decrease in 2023, and the most recent report released by the movement denounces 209 new verified cases of persecution to death in 2023, bringing the total documented number of killed victims to over 5,000 since 1999, a decisive step has been taken by the European Parliament (EP). On January 18, 2024, the EP adopted a resolution “on the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong in China, notably the case of Mr Ding Yuande.” The decision “[s]trongly urges the PRC to immediately end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and other minorities, including Uyghurs and Tibetans,” and “[c]alls for the PRC to end domestic and transnational surveillance and control and the suppression of religious freedom.” For these reasons, the EP intimates “the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law and its own constitution to respect and protect human rights.” Of course, public proclamations, even when authoritative, are not enough to push rogue regimes to adopt more acceptable behaviors. We all know even too well that internationally strong regimes are not scared just by documents. Yet, one should never underestimate documents such as this recent resolution by the EP. They in fact constitute formal acknowledgments by international authorities of a situation, in this case a painful situation, that exit the circles, as large as they could be, of victims and their defenders in NGOs and similar. It enters the larger scenario of world organizations, supernational bodies, and even world political and to some extent legal powers. They can still remain unenforced, but they constitute an insuppressible precedent, surely binding all decent people and governments on a moral level, but also with serious effects on law and politics. Yes, the success of these effects depends on the good wills of the juridical and political personnel, and of governing entities and agencies. However, after resolutions and documents are adopted, good people can always count on one more permanent masterful reference to advance good cases and defend innocent people. The January 18 EP resolution strongly commands the European Union (EU) “Member States to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC.” Stressing “that respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be at the centre of the EU’s relations with China,” calls for “the EU and its Member States to support and facilitate an international investigation into the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and raise the persecution of religious minorities during all political and human rights dialogues with the Chinese authorities.” Then, to make actions follow proclamations, the EP resolution “calls on the Member States and the EU Delegation to the PRC to monitor trials”. A specific section of the resolution touches upon the ongoing horror of organ harvesting, of which Falun Gong practitioners are the historical designated victims by the Chinese Communist regime, even if sadly nowadays no more the only ones. The resolution “[c]alls for the EU and its Member States to publicly condemn organ transplant abuses in China and to use the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and national human rights sanctions regimes against all perpetrators and entities that have contributed to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and abroad”. Again, to act concretely, the document “stresses that EU measures should include refusing visas, freezing assets, expulsion from EU territories, criminal prosecution, including on the basis of extraterritorial jurisdiction, and bringing international criminal charges” against the perpetrators of such horrors. In fact, quoting “its previous resolutions on China,” the EP importantly acknowledges that “since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has engaged in systematic persecution to eradicate the Falun Gong religious movement.” It also underlines that “freedom of religious belief is deteriorating across the People’s Republic of China (PRC)”—ignoring the “Article 36 of the PRC’s Constitution” that “stipulates that its citizens must enjoy freedom of religious belief”—and adds that “technology-based censorship and surveillance are central to this repression.” Within the framework of this persecution, the EP resolution states that “it is documented that thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have died as a result of the CCP’s persecution since 1999” and that “practitioners are frequently detained and reportedly subjected to torture, psychological abuse and organ harvesting so that they renounce their faith.” One specific case is highlighted in the EP resolution to serve as an archetype of this whole dreadful scenario. It is the case of Ding Yuande and his wife, Ma Ruimei, both Falun Gong practitioners in the PRC who were arrested on May 12, 2023, without a warrant. Later, Ma was released on bail only to be “intimidated by police because of a rescue campaign launched by their son abroad,” whereas Ding was detained, and no family visits were allowed for eight months. Finally, on December 15, 2023, he was sentenced to three years in prison with a CNY 15000 fine (almost €2,000 and more than US$2,000,) and has appealed the judgment. “Bitter Winter” told the story of the couple in July 2023, interviewing their son, Ding Lebin. Now, demanding “the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Ding and all Falun Gong practitioners in China,” the EP also “[i]nstructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and Parliament of the PRC.” Today, January 22, 2024, CAP-Coordination des Associations & Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience, a French NGO with ECOSOC special consultative status presided by Thierry Valle, will address the systematic violation of human rights in China, concentrating on the persecution against Falun Gong and organ harvesting in sight of the UN Universal Periodical Review on Human Rights of the PRC. Among prestigious experts on the case, and Ding as well, also “Bitter Winter” will participate. The EP resolution will serve as a decisive, non-partisan, authoritative document to hold the Chinese regime accountable for its crimes.

The session will start at 3:00pm on that day, said a press release of the parliament secretariat. President Mohammed Shahabuddin convened the parliament session exercising his power bestowed upon him in line with the constitution. Although the members of the twelfth parliament took oath, according to the constitution, the term of the eleventh parliament is till January 29. As a result, there is no opportunity to sit the session of the new Parliament before the end of this term. Therefore, the session will be held from January 30. It should be noted that Awami League secured 222 out of 299 seats in the last January 7 election.  Apart from this, independents secured 62 seats and Jatiya Party secured 11 seats.  

Parliamentarians in South Korea on Tuesday passed a bill to ban selling or producing dog meat, something that has been practiced in the country for centuries. The law, which is to go into force in 2027, comes amid growing support for animal welfare in the country.   The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. Although it still needs to be endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk-yeol to go into force, those steps are considered a formality. Support for a ban has grown under President Yoon, who is known for adopting stray dogs and cats. His wife, Kim Keon-hee, has also been outspoken in her criticism of the practice. Recent surveys show that most South Koreans no longer include dog meat in their diets.   What does the law stipulate? Under the new law, it will become illegal to breed, sell or kill dogs for their meat, with offenses punished by up to three years in jail or 30 million won (€21,000, $23,000) in fines. "This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals," the legislation reads. The law does not stipulate punishments for consuming dog meat.   Dog farmers are expected to hold protests against the bill and file a petition at the constitutional court. The South Korean Agriculture Ministry has estimated that more than 1,000 farms were breeding almost half a million dogs to be served at around 1,600 restaurants as of April 2022.

“Bangladesh achieved remarkable growth during the last two decades. Referred to as the South Asian tiger, the country has strong trade relations with the EU,” said Tomáš Zdechovský MEP (EPP, Czechia) in a conference titled “Democracy and Human Rights in Bangladesh”, which took place in the European Parliament on November 7th. “A constructive and balanced partnership based on mutual trust and respect is needed between the two sides now. There is confidence that democracy will prevail in the upcoming elections in Bangladesh, which is seen as a symbol of democracy”, he added. The co-host of the event and Chairperson of Study Circle London Syed Mozammel Ali stated: “According to the 2023 Global State of Democracy Report, almost half of the 173 countries around the world suffered a decline in at least one key indicator of democratic performance in the past five years due to reasons, such as the cost-of-living crisis, climate change and Russia-Ukraine war. Bangladesh is no exception being a populous country with 112 million voters”. “Of course, there should be a balance between human rights and security, and like Western countries, the Bangladeshi government is dealing with security forces misusing their power through judiciary processes. It takes hundreds of years to install genuine human rights and democratic traditions and there is good progress in Bangladesh”, he went on. Referring to the 11 Islamic parties out of 47 political parties being registered by the Election Commission, Ali commented: “If the Western powers are not careful, they will risk pushing the country into the hands of fundamentalists”. Ending on a positive note, “the recent Global Gateway Summit was a vote of confidence in the Bangladeshi government and such assistance would not have been given if the EU didn’t have confidence in the current government”, he affirmed. Dr. Rayhan Rashid from the International Crimes Strategy Forum stressed that “Bangladesh was party to all major international human rights conventions, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, while sheltering 1.2. million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. “This demonstrates the commitment of Bangladesh to human rights, but it can also cause governance and resource-related challenges”, he said, adding “human rights should not be weaponised for political gains and used as bargaining chips for trade deals”. “Disinformation is a big challenge for democracies, which shall be countered by factchecking, engaging with all stakeholders and investigating lobbying money and the purpose behind”, continued Dr. Rashid. Next, he underlined the importance of not cherry-picking one set of human rights (i.e. political and civil rights) over another (i.e. social, economic and cultural rights, such as primary education, universal pension and maternity leave scheme, Covid-19 recovery and women empowerment) and taking a holistic approach while evaluating the human rights situation in Bangladesh. Dr. Mizanur Raman, former chairman of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, explained that Bangladesh proclaimed its independence in 1971, in a bloody independent war where 3 million lives were lost, to ensure equality, social justice and human dignity for the Bangladeshi people. “Being a product of human rights, this country cannot be anything but human rights-friendly”, he argued. Reminding delegates of the killing of the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (pictured right), in August 1975. He also highlighted that the Bangladeshi law duly imposes content-based restrictions in line with cultural exception clauses in international conventions when it comes to disrespecting the founding father of the nation and the values of the Liberation War. Reiterating that the country upholds human rights, such as social rights, right to education and children rights dearly, which is exemplified by the free distribution of 35 million books on January 1st, he added: “Geopolitical human rights are a neo-colonial approach to pressurise smaller and weaker states such as Bangladesh, which violates the international principle of sovereign equality”. “We have problems in Bangladesh, but they cannot be comprehended in isolation, and we expect support from our friends in Europe to make our democratic infrastructure stronger, richer, and sustainable. They should abstain from killing our democracy by relying on unchecked sources, opportunism, and miscalculation as was the case in the pre-colonial days”, he concluded. “Let’s not forget that historical battles in Bangladesh are ongoing”, commented Dr.Rashid. “One side chose subjugation but the other side chose freedom. One side chose equal rights but the other side chose indignity. One side chose secularism but the other side chose a religious state. This is what the Bangladeshi voters have to choose between in the upcoming elections”. Source :  EU Today 

The ‘Cyber Security Bill-2023’ passed in Parliament on Wednesday, September 14.  State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak moved the Bill, which was passed by voice vote. Earlier, the Cabinet at its recent meeting gave the final approval to the draft of Cyber Security Bill, 2023. It has replaced the existing Digital Security Act.

Six members of the European Parliament have written a letter to the European Union (EU) about the upcoming Bangladesh national election. The six members are — Ivan Stefanec (Slovak Republic), Michaela Sojdrova (Czech Republic), Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bulgaria), Karen Melchior (Denmark), Javier Nart (Spain) and Heidi Hautala (Finland). In a written letter to High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Monday, June 12, the 6 members raised question on Bangladesh human rights violations and reminded the European Union role in making the upcoming parliamentary election free and fair. In the letter, they said, "Through this letter, we want to express our concern about the human rights violation in Bangladesh and call for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming general election." Referring to the extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture and false cases of opposition political activists in Bangladesh, they said, "Since coming to power in 2009, this government has narrowed the democratic space and failed to respect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.  Freedom of expression, including the press freedom, has been curtailed in recent years, particularly since the enactment of the Digital Security Act 2018." Above all, they emphasized on the Bangladesh national election to be held at the beginning of 2024.  They urged the European Union to play a role in negotiating with the government and the opposition political parties, especially with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), to ensure a free, fair and impartial general election.  The letter emphasized on engaging the major political parties to find a sustainable and democratic solution to the ongoing crisis. The European Parliament six members have suggested to repeatedly remind Bangladesh about the terms of GSP Plus incentives and the ban on the entry of those involved in human rights violations into the European Economic Area, if necessary.