Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Bangladesh government on violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims; and if he will make a statement.

Preventing religious violence and upholding Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Bangladesh remains a UK priority. During the UK-hosted Freedom of Religious Belief Conference in July, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon raised the importance of FoRB with the Bangladesh Minister for Religious Affairs. Our support in Bangladesh aims to ensure that the rights of religious minorities, including the Ahmadiyya community, are respected and that these communities are protected from discrimination. We regularly engage with a wide range of civil society and NGO partners to understand the causes and effects of inter-religious conflict. The UK will continue to support FoRB through regular dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh and our development programme funding.