London:

An ‘urgent’ issue was tabled today in the House of Commons in UK’s parliament over the worrisome situation in Bangladesh. Members of Parliament raised concern over the recent attacks on the Hindu minority in the south Asian nation and also discussed the religious crackdown on Hindu monks by the interim government in the country.

Labour Party MP Barry Gardiner, had on Monday, asked for an urgent session in the British parliament to discuss the situation in Bangladesh which London has been monitoring closely.

Informing the House about initiatives taken by Britain so far, the foreign office in-charge for the Indo-Pacific region, Catherine West said she had visited Bangladesh last month and held meetings with the leadership of the interim government in the country. She said that UK was among the first countries to take up the issue with Dhaka and was given verbal assurances by Bangladesh’s chief adviser Mohamed Yunus.

Ms West also mentioned concerns raised by New Delhi over the happenings in Bangladesh. “We are aware of the statement of concern from the Indian government following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a well-known Hindu leader, on sedition charges. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) desk is closely monitoring those developments,” said Ms West.

She went on to say that “The UK government will continue to monitor the situation, including making representations from this House, and will engage with the interim government in Bangladesh on the importance of freedom of religion or belief specifically as it affects the Hindu community.”

Conservative MP Priti Patel, who is the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs called the situation in Bangladesh “deeply, deeply concerning”.

Referring to the surge in incidents of violence, vandalism, and desecration targeting Hindu minorities, Ms Patel said, “The degree of escalation in violence is deeply concerning. What we are witnessing now is uncontrolled violence in many quarters. We are watching with horror and shock as further violence spreads in Bangladesh. The thoughts of all of us in the House are with the diaspora community here and those affected in Bangladesh. These are deeply disturbing reports.”

I am deeply concerned by the awful violence we have seen in Bangladesh, and my thoughts are with those affected.

In Parliament this afternoon, I called on the Government to set out how they are engaging with the Bangladeshi Government on this pressing and important issue.… pic.twitter.com/jRXciBQIKH

— Priti Patel MP (@pritipatel) December 2, 2024

She went on to ask the British government to delve into what is being done about the release of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been arrested in Bangladesh. “We have a religions
leader who has now been arrested. We need to know effectively what is being done to secure his release, due process in particular. But at the same time, can the Minister give details of the government’s engagement with Bangladesh on this particular matter. What discussions have taken place so far, and have we been robust in pursuing the right to protect life, the prevention of violence, and persecution, and importantly, tolerance for religious belief.”

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent West in London, which has a large British Hindu population, described the situation as being “clearly on a knife edge”.

Another MP, Bob Blackman, who is the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus, said “Hindus are suffering with their houses being burned and their businesses ransacked. Priests have been arrested, and I understand that two more were arrested over the weekend, and 63 monks have been denied access to the country. The clear issue is an attempt at the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from Bangladesh. We want to hear not just words of piety, but absolute condemnation of what is going on. Religious minorities are being deliberately persecuted because of their religion.”

Since Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down as prime minister, the new military-backed interim administration, led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, has faced criticism for failing to control violence against minorities. This includes instances of vandalism and desecration at temples, damage of Hindu businesses and properties, and homes of Hindus being attacked.
 

Supporters of the “Not Dead Yet” campaign, which opposes the Assisted Dying Bill, react outside the Houses of Parliament as news breaks that the Bill has passed the first stage, on November 29, 2024 in London, England.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

British lawmakers gave initial approval on Friday (November 29, 2024) to a bill to help terminally ill adults end their lives in England and Wales, following an impassioned debate that saw people sharing personal stories of loss and suffering.

Members of Parliament approved the assisted dying bill by a 330-275 vote, signalling their approval in principle for the bill, which will undergo further scrutiny before it goes to a final vote.

Friday’s vote came after hours of debate — emotional at times — that touched on issues of ethics, faith and law. There was no braying and shouting that often marks debates in the House of Commons and speeches were considered respectfully and heard in silence.

“Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a choice between life or death, we are talking about giving dying people a choice about how to die,” the bill’s main sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, said as she presented the bill to a packed chamber.

Supporters said the law would provide dignity to the dying and prevent suffering, while protecting the vulnerable.

Opponents said the disabled and elderly were at risk of being coerced, directly or indirectly, to end their lives to save money or relieve the burden on family members. Others called for the improvement of palliative care to ease suffering as an alternative.

The proposed bill would allow adults over the age of 18 who are expected to have fewer than six months to live to request and be provided help to end their life, subject to several safeguards.

They would have to be capable of taking the fatal drugs themselves, and two independent doctors and a High Court judge will have to sign off on any decision. The bill will not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Arguments for and against

Backers of the bill told heart-wrenching stories about constituents and family members who suffered in the final months of their lives and dying people who committed suicide in secret because it is currently a crime for anyone to provide assistance.

Danny Kruger, who led the argument against the bill, cautioned lawmakers not to back a “state suicide service.” He argued that no amount of safeguards will stop many vulnerable people feeling the pressure to make a request to end their lives.

Mr. Kruger voiced his disappointment at the outcome but said there’s a chance lawmakers will reject the bill when it comes back for a vote in the next few months. Some of those voting in favor said they only did so to examine the details further and could potentially vote against it in the future.

“I still think we can stop it,” he said.

Across the political divide

Although the bill was proposed by Ms. Leadbeater, a member of the ruling center-left Labour Party, it was an open vote with alliances formed across the political divide.

The government is widely expected to come up in the next few months with assessments on how assisted dying will be funded and how it would impact the U.K.’s state-funded National Health Service, hospice care and the legal system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not show his hand ahead of the vote, but backed the change. Others in his Cabinet, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood, voted against. There were similar divisions across other political parties.

Long-time British campaigner Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill with lung cancer and played a leading role in advocating the need for a vote on assisted dying, voiced her joy at the “wonderful” outcome and said it will give people an “equal choice.”

When diagnosed with her terminal illness, Ms. Rantzen said she would travel to Switzerland to bring an end to her life, where the law allows assisted dying for non-residents.

Hundreds of people on both sides of the issue gathered outside Parliament on a cold but bright day as the debate continued for nearly five hours.

Opponents held signs saying, “Kill the bill, not the ill,” and, referring to the National Health Service, “NHS It’s cradle to grave. Not ’til old, inconvenient or expensive!”

The group Dignity in Dying, many wearing pink winter hats, led supporters as they clutched signs saying “Giving me choice over my death,” and “You can’t cure death. Please make it fear free.”

Backers of the measure erupted in cheers when the result was announced and hugged each other.

“It’s a relief, it’s history, finally we are getting towards having a society that shows love and compassion above the need to just keep people alive,” said Joshua Cook, 33, who has Huntington’s disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disease.

Other countries that have legalised assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with regulations on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction.

Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, allowed in the Netherlands and Canada, which involves health care practitioners administering a lethal injection at the patient’s request in specific circumstances.