"It is because we are concerned about human rights that we came to Dhaka. Peace and stability in Bangladesh should not be at the cost of political and civil rights. Freedom of expression is a multidimensional and active basis of democracy." The delegation of the European Parliament sub-committee for human rights issued this statement at the end of the their recent Bangladesh visit. The European Union mission in Dhaka released this notice yesterday evening. Led by vice chair of the sub-committee Cristian Van Preda, the three-member delegation arrived in Dhaka o...

Bangladesh’s announcement that it will move two camps housing some 30,000 officially documented Rohingya refugees has heightened anxieties among the Muslim minority, who fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. Observers applaud the possibility of improving camp conditions, but are concerned the move could also increase insecurity. On 6 November, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a meeting with the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, said the camps would be moved to a “better location”, which was later described by her pres...

UNC-Chapel Hill announced Thursday that it would require all companies that produce UNC apparel to sign an accord governing worker safety in Bangladesh. The university said it would require UNC logo gear to be made by companies that sign onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh — instead of the separate Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. The Alliance is supported by major companies such as Wal-Mart, Gap, Target and Greensboro-based VF Corp., parent company of Wrangler. Activists and worker safety advocates ha...