Sylhet:British lawmakers have engaged in discussions on violence against women and girls, access to legal redress, labour rights, and minority advocacy during a series of meetings with legal experts and community representatives in Sylhet.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the UK parliamentary delegation was led by Apsana Begum, MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Bangladesh. The delegation participated in a roundtable organised by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).
The delegation met with representatives of the Sylhet Bar Association, legal experts, and tea garden workers. Discussions focused on violence against women and girls, access to legal remedies, labour rights, working conditions, advocacy for minority communities, and community-based action.
This roundtable was part of the delegation's week-long visit to Bangladesh, which also included meetings with government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society members in Dhaka, and engagements with the United Nations Refugee Agency in Cox's Bazar.
The delegation arrived in Sylhet on October 9 and engaged with representatives of BRAC, visited Sylhet Kidney Foundation Hospital, and joined discussions at the BRAC Learning Centre. Topics included gender-based violence, education and employment, infrastructure, land rights, visa and consular services, and international flight connectivity through Sylhet airport.
Participants in the discussions included Sylhet Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Sylhet Women Chamber of Commerce President Lubana Yesmin Shampa, District Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun, and Sylhet Press Club President Moktabis Nur.
On October 10, the delegation visited the Urang, or Oraon, community with BRAC to understand issues affecting indigenous and minority Hindu communities in the region. They also met with participants of BRAC's Ultra Poor Graduation Programme to learn about local development challenges and initiatives.
On October 11, the delegation visited BLAST's Sylhet Unit and met with members of the judiciary, lawyers, and paralegals to discuss legal aid, access to advocacy and legal advice, and ways to strengthen access to justice.
The visit was supported by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK.