{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-cardin-murphy-merkley-issue-letter-to-chief-advisor-muhammad-yunus-urging-reforms-and-accountability-in-bangladesh", "Van Hollen, Cardin, Murphy, Merkley Issue Letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Urging Reforms and Accountability in Bangladesh", "2024-09-20", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "MD", "Chris Van Hollen", "V000128", "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "vanhollen", "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the People\u2019s Republic of Bangladesh, congratulating him on assuming leadership at a pivotal time for the country. The letter emphasizes the urgent need for democratic reforms and accountability in response to widespread protests, demanding substantive political and institutional changes. The Senators also call for stronger law enforcement and swift action to hold accountable those responsible for attacks on vulnerable communities, including the Hindu population and Rohingya refugees in Cox\u2019s Bazaar.\n\n\u201cIn recent weeks, the world has witnessed how the people of Bangladesh have courageously demonstrated the transformative power of collective action,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cThis transition presents a historic opportunity to reform institutions, protect human rights, and ensure inclusive participation in governance.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus,\n\nWe are writing to congratulate you on becoming the interim leader of Bangladesh during this historic time. In recent weeks, the people of Bangladesh have courageously demonstrated the transformative power of collective action to their own government and the global community. When citizens unite, their voices can compel even the most entrenched and authoritarian leaders to relinquish power.\n\nBut this historic moment did not come without costs. Rather than engage the legitimate grievances of the protestors, the Bangladesh security forces \u2013 including the Rapid Action Battalion \u2013 responded with brute force, killing hundreds of protestors, and arresting and injuring thousands more. We mourn the lives that were lost and urge your interim government to create a credible process to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the security services\u2019 human rights violations. This will be vital both as a demonstration of your commitment to respecting the rights of the protestors and signal your interim government\u2019s intention to work in good faith to address their grievances.\n\nThis transition presents a historic opportunity to reform institutions in Bangladesh, to ensure that human rights, such as freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, are protected; to allow for inclusive participation in government representative of the diversity of the country; to support civil society and independent media; and to hold individuals accountable for the violence committed against the citizens of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh deserve a government that honors their voices, safeguards their rights, and upholds their dignity.\n\nWhile many celebrate this new chapter in Bangladesh, a concerning volume of those celebrations have turned violent, with documented reports of reprisals targeting police as well as minority Hindu communities and those perceived to be supporters of Sheikh Hasina\u2019s government. As a result, the country has witnessed gaps in law enforcement and lack of protections for those facing violent attacks, including members of the Hindu community and Rohingya refugees in Cox\u2019s Bazaar. We urge you to take these threats and incidents of violence seriously, just as we applaud your recent promise to continue supporting the million-plus Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh. It is only by ensuring that all communities residing in Bangladesh are protected under the law that Bangladesh can meet its promising future.\n\nNow, more than ever, it is important for Bangladeshis to unify \u2013 by coming together and by rebuilding an inclusive government, that fully harnesses Bangladesh\u2019s tremendous potential. In a world that has recently witnessed repeated assaults on democratic ideals, Bangladesh has a rare opportunity to respond by delivering on the \u2018second liberation\u2019 many protestors have called for through the formulation of a government that respects democratic values and institutions.\n\nWe stand ready to assist Bangladesh during this critical period to ensure a successful transition to a democracy truly representative of the will of the Bangladeshi people.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-cardin-murphy-merkley-issue-letter-to-chief-advisor-muhammad-yunus-urging-reforms-and-accountability-in-bangladesh"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.488677855581045, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}