,,iii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #cah ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #aa1 #bjac,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 and ,mr4 ,murphy7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,senate regarding the critical need for political reform in ,bangladesh1 and for other purposes4 ,whereas the nation of ,bangladesh was established in #aiga after a bitter war in which it split from ,pakistan1 and for many of the ensuing years until #aiij1 it was ruled by military governments2 ,whereas political tensions have at times turned to violence in ,bangladesh1 undermining the democratic process2 ,whereas the last parliamentary elections in ,bangladesh originally scheduled for ,january #bjjg1 were postponed indefinitely after the military intervened amid rising violence and questions about the electoral process's credibility2 ,whereas a military-backed civilian caretaker government held power until ,december #bjjh when ,bangladeshis returned to the polls to elect a new parliament for the first time in many years2 ,whereas ongoing antagonism between the country's two ruling parties1 the ,awami ,league and the ,bangladesh ,nationalist ,party1 distracts from the important needs of the country2 ,whereas concerns have grown about religious extremism in the otherwise usually tolerant country2 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,bangladesh relationship is strong and involves many shared interests1 including regional economic integration1 counterterrorism1 counter-piracy1 poverty alleviation1 food security1 regional stability1 and mitigation of natural disasters2 ,whereas bilateral trade between the ,united ,states and ,bangladesh now tops #f1jjj1jjj1jjj annually1 with major ,united ,states companies making significant long-term investments in ,bangladesh2 ,whereas the economy of ,bangladesh has grown six percent per year over the last two decades1 despite a range of challenges2 ,whereas the poverty rate in ,bangladesh dropped from #dj percent to #ca percent between #bjje and #bjaj--;a notable accomplishment in a country in which poverty has been deep and widespread2 ,whereas the ,grameen ,bank's revolutionary microfinance lending to the poor has helped reduce poverty not only in ,bangladesh1 but has served as an innovative and powerful model for helping the poor elsewhere in the world2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state1 ,congress1 and other high profile international voices have recognized the ,grameen ,bank's innovative work and expressed great concern over actions by the ,government of ,bangladesh that undermine the ,bank's independence2 ,whereas ,bangladesh1 an example of a moderate and diverse ,muslim-majority democracy1 is scheduled to have national elections on ,january #e1 #bjad2 ,whereas1 in #bjac1 hundreds of ,bangladeshis died in violent clashes as a result of political violence and unrest1 and some opposition and human rights activists have been arrested2 ,whereas trials held by the ,international ,crimes ,tribunal in ,bangladesh--set up to prosecute those responsible for atrocities committed during ,bangladesh's war of liberation with ,pakistan in #aiga--;have fallen short of international standards2 ,whereas the ,government of ,bangladesh eliminated a constitutional provision requiring the governing party to cede power to a neutral caretaker government three months before an election2 ,whereas the #ah-member opposition coalition in ,bangladesh called for numerous nationwide strikes and transportation blockades in #bjac1 resulting in dozens of deaths2 ,whereas ,bangladeshi students cannot attend school and complete mandatory exams due to the strikes and blockades and related violence2 ,whereas many citizens of ,bangladesh have had their work and daily activities disrupted due to the strikes and related violence1 which come at a cost to the economy and stability of ,bangladesh2 ,whereas a stable1 moderate1 secular1 ,muslim-majority democracy with the world's seventh-largest population1 and the world's fourth-largest ,muslim population1 will have lasting positive impacts in the region and beyond2 ,whereas the success of the democratic process in ,bangladesh is of great importance to the ,united ,states and the world2 and ,whereas during the week of ,december #h1 #bjac1 ,united ,nations ,assistant ,secretary ,general ,oscar ,fernandez-,taranco visited ,bangladesh to foster political dialogue between ,bangladeshi political parties and leaders in order to bring a halt to violence and allow for a credible peaceful election3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns the political violence in ,bangladesh and urges political leaders in that country to engage directly and substantively in a dialogue toward free1 fair1 and credible elections2 7#b7 expresses great concern about the continued political deadlock in ,bangladesh that distracts from the country's many important challenges2 7#c7 urges political leaders in ,bangladesh to take immediate steps to rein in and to condemn the violence as well as to provide space for peaceful political protests2 7#d7 urges political leaders in ,bangladesh to ensure the safety and access of observers in its upcoming elections2 7#e7 supports ongoing efforts by ,united ,nations ,assistant ,secretary ,general ,oscar ,fernandez-,taranco to foster political dialogue between political factions in ,bangladesh2 and 7#f7 urges the ,government of ,bangladesh to ensure judicial independence1 end harassment of human rights activists1 and restore the independence of the ,grameen ,bank4