Dhaka: A delegation of Members of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights is set to visit Bangladesh from September 16 to 18 to engage in dialogue regarding the human rights aspect of EU-Bangladesh relations and to evaluate the condition of displaced Rohingyas residing in Cox’s Bazar.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the five-member delegation will engage in discussions with representatives from the interim government, non-governmental and civil society organizations, labor groups, and multilateral organizations active in Bangladesh. The European Parliament stated that the visit is significant in light of the upcoming elections in February 2026 and the strengthening EU-Bangladesh relations. The delegation aims to gain insights into the interim government’s efforts to promote good governance and enhance human rights, including adherence to international labor standards, and to further discuss the EU-Bangladesh partnership in these domains.
During their three-day mission, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) plan to visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar to evaluate the humanitarian conditions affecting nearly one million Rohingya who escaped persecution in Myanmar in 2017. The visit occurs during a period of political transition in Bangladesh, following the 2024 Mass Uprising and the resignation of the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has launched reforms targeting the electoral system, judiciary, and other essential state institutions. Concurrently, the European Union and Bangladesh have recommenced negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).
The delegation will be led by Mounir Satouri (Greens/EFA, France) and includes Isabel Wiseler-Lima (EPP, Luxembourg), Arkadiusz Mularczyk (ECR, Poland), Urmas Paet (Renew Europe, Estonia), and Catarina Vieira (Greens/EFA, Netherlands). Bangladesh remains under the European Union’s “Everything But Arms” (EBA) scheme, which involves enhanced monitoring of compliance with human rights and labor rights commitments.
The country continues to confront significant humanitarian challenges, hosting around one million Rohingya in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, facing limited resources and urgent humanitarian needs.