Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of helping to establish an independent investigation into allegations of political violence and human rights abuses in Bangladesh.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bangladesh on a range of issues, including governance, human rights, and the rule of law. The previous Minister for the Indo-Pacific met Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman on 17 February and reinforced the UK's commitment to working with the Government of Bangladesh to advance democratic, economic and social reforms.

The UK condemns all acts of violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities and continues to emphasise the importance of protecting the rights of all communities to the Bangladesh Government.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bangladesh on a range of issues, including governance, human rights, and the rule of law. The previous Minister for the Indo-Pacific met Bangladesh Prime Minister Rahman on 17 February and reinforced the UK's commitment to working with the Government of Bangladesh to advance democratic, economic and social reforms.

The UK condemns all acts of violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities and continues to emphasise the importance of protecting the rights of all communities to the Bangladesh Government.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect children in Gaza, with reference to the report from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The impact of the conflict in Gaza on children is a moral outrage. We are clear that children must always be protected, and their rights upheld in accordance with international law. The UK continues to take measures to support Palestinian children. In June the previous Foreign Secretary announced the resumption of UK-supported medical evacuations of critically ill and injured children, as well as eligible students, and their immediate families from Gaza. On 19 May we announced a partnership supporting children with blast injuries caused by the conflict and we continue to provide support to UK-Med field hospitals across Gaza. I also refer the Hon. Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on 8 September.