Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bangladesh on the (a) student protests and (b) potential restoration of (i) internet and (ii) mobile services in that country.

The Foreign Secretary and I have publicly called for an immediate end to the violence and unrest in Bangladesh, and for access to the internet and communications services to be restored. I discussed my concerns regarding the situation with the Bangladesh High Commissioner to London on 19 and 23 July. The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh has engaged with Bangladesh government ministers to reinforce messages on de-escalation, the need for constructive dialogue to reduce tensions and for communications to be restored. We will continue to call on all sides to find a peaceful way forward.