Extrajudicial killings can\\\'t be tolerated: Swayne

UK Minister of State for International Development Desmond Swayne has said that extrajudicial killings cannot be tolerated in any democratic country and called for bringing the ‘perpetrators’ to justice. “Bangladesh is a democracy, and it’s essential that democratic values should be preserved and maintained. That means you can’t tolerate extrajudicial killings,” the visiting UK state minister said while speaking with reporters in Dhaka. Swayne arrived in the capital on Sunday. Responding to a question, he said it is essential that those crimes are investigated and the perpetrators are brought to justice. “So, it’s for the government and police to ensure those crimes are investigated,” he observed. The UK Minister came up with the observation when asked whether the government is taking adequate steps to investigate the allegations of extrajudicial killings. Swayne, however, said he is not in a position to make a judgment on the basis of his short visit. The British state minister arrived Sunday on a three-day visit mainly to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s development. During his 72 hours stay, Desmond Swayne met a range of people including the top government officials, development partners, civil society, the business community and ordinary Bangladeshis who have benefitted from the UK’s support. The minister engaged with local audiences about the UK government’s priorities and also assess progress made towards promoting economic prosperity and development in Bangladesh. “The UK supports the government of Bangladesh’s aim to achieve middle income status within the next decade. Following on from Bangladesh’s commitments on ending child marriage, made at the 2014 Girl Summit in London, the UK minister is here to find out more about ongoing work to tackle this important issue. At the end of his visit, Swayne reiterated that 2015 is a crucial year for development and he is very pleased to be here in Bangladesh. “Our countries have a strong relationship built up over the years and I want to see that become even stronger as Bangladesh flourishes and leads its own development,” according to a news agency.
- biplab