Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this motion moved by the member for Chifley, and I congratulate him for it. The member's motion notes, in its first paragraph:

(1) the tremendous contributions of Australia’s Bangladeshi community;

The paragraph which is amended, which I also support, is:

(2) shows concern at recent violence and reports of human rights violations in Bangladesh, expresses regret at the loss of life and injuries involved, and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to advocate non-violence;

The third paragraph is:

(3) encourages the Australian Government to engage with the Bangladeshi Government to progress democratic reform within that country.

According to our 2006 census, there are around 20,000 Bangladeshis in Australia, and many Australians of Bangladeshi origin have found their homes in Sydney and Melbourne, where the larger communities are found. Bangladeshi Australians have certainly made a tremendous contribution to our nation, as correctly noted in this motion, and have seamlessly entered into and participated in the broader Australian community.

The Australian and Bangladeshi people share a history of the Commonwealth, not to mention a love for cricket. They say that the captain of the Australian cricket team is one of the most important jobs in our nation. No doubt this is also the case of the Bangladeshi cricket captain. Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council, gaining status as a full test-playing nation in the year 2000, the 10th nation to achieve this status, with Bangladesh playing their first test match against India in 2000 in their capital, Dhaka.

The region of Bengal is one of the most densely populated regions on the earth, with a population density exceeding 900 people per square kilometre. Most of the Bengal region lies in the Ganges Delta, the world's largest delta. The southern part of the delta lies in UNESCO heritage-listed lands, the largest mangrove forest in the world and the home of the Bengal tiger.

Our two nations are fostering a growing economic relationship, but our two economies are only the infancy stage of our growing trade links. Our exports to Bangladesh for the last year were $542 million, consisting mainly of fertilisers, cotton, vegetables and wheat, while the total value of imports in Australian currency increased from $190 million in 2008 to $305 million last year, an increase of 156 per cent in just three years. As a good neighbour in our region, Australia provides duty-free and quota-free access on all imports from Bangladesh.

The country does face a number of challenges, including poverty and population pressures, but it has been noted by the international community for its progress on the Human Development Index. The country has greatly increased life expectancy, achieved gender parity in education, reduced population growth and improved maternal child health. However, Human Rights Watch, in an article titled 'Bangladesh: Government Backtracks on Rights: Year Marked By Flawed Trials, Continued Impunity, Pressure on NGOs', discussed its World Report 2013, which was handed down on 1 February this year and paints a worrying and concerning picture of the conditions faced on the ground in Bangladesh. Sadly, it also painted a picture of 2012 as being a year in which the human rights situation went backwards, obviously a concerning trend.

However, there is a tale of hope in the story for Bangladesh. We see a growing economy along with the saplings of democracy that need to be nurtured. As a responsible neighbour in our region, we must be forthright in encouraging and demanding the government of Bangladesh to do better. They only need to look to themselves for inspiration. Consider the story of Nobel peace prize laureate Mohammed Younis, the Bangladeshi banker and economist who received the Nobel Prize for efforts through microcredit to create economic and social development. He was the first Bangladeshi to win this prestigious award.

In summary, we do note the tremendous contribution of the Bangladeshi community here in Australia. However, we are concerned about the violations of human rights currently in that country and as the Australian government we should use our voice to encourage the Bangladeshi government to progress the democratic reform as soon as possible.

Debate adjourned.

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