BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT ANGERED BY DNACZUK'S CALL FOR SANCTIONS

Suspended Labour MP addressed opposition supporters in Dhaka, saying government has created ‘culture of fear’

By Randeep Ramesh

Simon Danczuk: ‘Sanctions should be applied if there is not a return to true democracy’.

Photograph: Jon Super for the Guardian

Simon Danczuk, the suspended Labour MP ordered to repay £11,000 in expenses, has come under fire by Bangladesh’s government for interfering in its “internal affairs” after he flew to Dhaka and called for sanctions to be imposed on the south Asian nation.

Danczuk, who flew to the Bangladeshi capital on Friday, addressed tens of thousands of supporters of the opposition Bangladesh National party – telling them that since taking power, the current government had created a “culture of fear” with a “break down in human rights ... and political opponents disappearing”.

Speaking of the ties between Britain and Bangladesh, Danczuk called on British ministers to say “ the relationship has … soured. Sanctions should be applied if there is not a return to true democracy”.

 Simon Danczuk speaks at Bangladesh National party conference.

British ministers have not broken off relations despite political violence scarring the country – and regularly visit Bangladesh. The UK remains the largest bilateral donor to Bangladesh, sending about £180m a year.

A spokesman for the Bangladeshi high commission in London said the MP allied himself with the opposition, including extremist groups, to “interfere” in democratic politics.

“Talking about Bangladesh’s internal politics is interference in the internal affairs of the country,” he said. “Bangladesh has a flourishing democracy and the next elections are set for 2019.

“Danczuk’s comments are similar to the one of the opposition parties Bangladesh Nationalist party, which is allied to the Jamaat-e-Islami party – which has been described as a ‘criminal organisation’ and has been identified to have links to all radical ... terrorist groups.”

Danczuk’s call for sanctions to be applied to Bangladesh echoes the call by Tarique Rahman, the opposition’s leading politician and scion of a political dynasty who lives in exile in London. He faces a number of charges in Bangladesh, including one of money laundering, all of which he denies.

Wikileaks reported that the US embassy in Dhaka had recommended a ban on entry for Rahman in 2008 into the US because of “egregious political corruption that has had a serious adverse effect on US national interests”.

Danczuk told the crowds: “Let me start by saying Tarique Rahman is very well and in very good spirits. I met with him recently and there is no doubt he is looking forward to returning shortly”.

Danczuk was suspended in December by the Labour party after newspaper allegations about that he exchanged explicit messages with a 17-year-old girl. He is currently the subject of a police investigation after allegations of rape were made against him.

Danczuk, vice chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Bangladesh, has long courted the Bangladeshi vote in Rochdale, telling community leaders before the general election the poll was important “because we need to retain people in parliament who will speak up for the people of Bangladesh... That’s why this is an important general election”.

When contacted by the Guardian, Danczuk said that there was nothing wrong with meeting Tarique Rahman because the government had allowed “him to stay here”.

“It’s not interference,” he said. “I did say that sanctions should be considered because of what has happened in Bangladesh. Numerous reports show the breakdown in human rights. The British government needs to pressurise Bangladesh into reason.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK urges all Bangladesh’s political parties to work together to strengthen democratic and political accountability. Bangladesh is an important partner for the UK and we continue to support its people in their aspiration for a more stable, prosperous and democratic future.”

@ The Guardian