Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of reports that allegations of blasphemy are being used to incite mob violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The UK condemns the murder of Dipu Chandra Das, and we extend our condolences to his family and friends. We welcome the public commitments made by the Government of Bangladesh to the safety of minorities and the arrests already made in this case. More widely, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 November in response to Question 86282, and I can confirm that Baroness Chapman raised the issue of religious violence during her trip to Bangladesh in November.