EU condemns ethnic violence in Bangladesh

BRUSSELS - The European Union Saturday condemned last week’s ethnic violence in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts which killed at least five people and injured 23, and asked the authorities to probe the incident.

“The EU calls upon the government of Bangladesh to swiftly and thoroughly follow up with an independent investigation of this incident and of the allegations that the armed forces were involved,” EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

The 27-member organisation asked the Bangladesh government to ensure that the perpetrators “of these shameful acts are brought to justice”, EUAsianNews reported.

A number of people belonging to indigenous groups have been killed, up to 400 houses burned down and a similar number of families displaced during ethnic clashes which occurred last week, Ashton said in a statement here.

The area, with a significant Buddhist population, witnessed clashes between locals and those settled there as part of a policy to retain hold of the restive region.

According to media reports, the army was called in after houses in several villages, besides a church, a pagoda and an office of a UN-funded project were set on fire Feb 20.

A statue of Lord Buddha installed at the Banani Buddhist Monastery was damaged and another statue was looted.

“It is the constitutional responsibility of the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the protection and the fundamental rights of all its citizens. Incidents such as this have no place in an inclusive and tolerant society,” stressed the statement.

“The EU is also concerned about the wider impact that this violence may have on the stability of the CHT region as well as on Bangladesh’s international reputation, and calls on the relevant authorities in Bangladesh to take more effective measures to implement the CHT Peace Accord,” it added.