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Testimony of Nisha Desai Biswal,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian
Affairs,
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on
Asia and the Pacific,
Washington, DC, May 11, 2016
Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s rivers and its strategic location in the Bay of
Bengal also make it a critical linkage in our regional connectivity efforts.
And Bangladesh’s development gains over the past several decades demonstrate
what we can achieve through a determined partnership: it went from a food
importer to a food exporter, its economy has grown at nearly 6 percent annually
for more than 20 years, it cut its poverty rate in half over the last 15 years,
and it reduced its under-five mortality by nearly 75 percent between 1990 and
2015. As Assistant Administrator Stivers will tell you, USAID has had an
outsized role in these achievements, and our $207.9 million budget request for
FY 2017 will build on past progress to ensure Bangladesh’s future success. We
are investing in Bangladesh’s success because it is a key strategic partner
both in South Asia and on global challenges like climate change and
peacekeeping. Bangladesh has more than 160 million people – 65 percent of who
are under the age of 26 – and hosts the world’s fourth-largest population of
Muslims, making it an important partner in promoting tolerance, diversity, and
the empowerment of women. It is the number two contributor of UN peacekeepers,
and its farmers help ensure global food security. And thanks to innovations by
Bangladeshi institutions like Grameen Bank and BRAC – such as microfinance and
new oral-rehydration therapies – tens of millions of the world’s poor,
especially women and children, have had their lives transformed for the better.
But many challenges remain in this dynamic country.
One-third of Bangladeshis still live in poverty. The country’s combination of
high population density and low elevation make it highly susceptible to rising
sea levels and extreme weather events. We also continue to work with Bangladesh
to improve worker safety and labor rights, especially in its garment industry,
which accounts for 80 percent of the country’s exports and employs well over
four million workers, the majority of whom are women. While some progress has
been made on worker safety – thanks in no small part to the herculean efforts
of international brands, labor organizations, and diplomats – much remains to
be done. The government still needs to demonstrate its commitment to protecting
workers’ right to organize and to bringing its Export Processing Zones in line
with international labor standards.
However, many of the gains that Bangladesh has made in human
development and economic growth risk being undermined by the escalating
extremist violence. Jon and I just returned from Dhaka, in the aftermath of the
terrorist attack on Xulhaz Mannan, a long-time employee and beloved colleague
of the U.S. Embassy. Xulhaz was also a respected and admired advocate for human
rights. During our visit, we underscored Secretary Kerry’s message to the
government and people of Bangladesh that the United States will work with them
in the fight against violent extremism, and that during a time of such
challenge, it is more important than ever to respect the rule of law, political
rights, and the ability for Bangladeshis to speak their mind.
And while preserving free speech, holding free and fair
elections, and creating space for a vibrant civil society to operate are all
important elements to succeeding in this struggle, they alone are not enough.
It will also require vigilance to prevent attacks, intelligence to detect
threats, well-trained police to investigate attacks, and a strong and
transparent judicial system to ensure that justice is served.
In addition to expanding programs that seek to counter
violent extremism, we are also working in new ways to help the government of
Bangladesh understand and deal with the new contours of this threat. In all of
these efforts, we work closely with trusted partners in Bangladesh, including
the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. And we use public diplomacy programs
and our social media presence to help in the fight – with nearly 2.8 million
followers, Embassy Dhaka has the largest Facebook fan base of any U.S. mission
in the world, and uses it to reach a large youth audience and present
attractive alternatives to violent extremist ideologies. Bangladesh has a
history of overcoming difficult challenges, and we are hopeful that, with a
determined partnership, we can also help Bangladesh defeat the extremists and
terrorists that threaten this vibrant society.
[Note: Only Bangladesh section used here.]
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