Sayedee verdict satisfies EP

The European Parliament (EP) will have a debate on Thursday night (Bangladesh time) on a joint motion for a resolution on human rights violations in Bangladesh. Sources closely related to the senior parliamentarians at the EP involved with preparing the joint motion informed that, in the joint motion, to be debated tonight, the EP has welcomed the Bangladesh Supreme Court decision to commute the death sentence handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee to imprisonment until death. In the joint motion, the EP has reiterated its call for the abolition of the death penalty in Bangladesh, the sources informed. In the joint motion, the EP also commended the government of Bangladesh for the progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which has resulted in significant real-life improvements for millions of its citizens. The sources said the EP, however, expressed concern about continuing human rights violations by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and other security forces, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, according to a news agency.