Eight human rights organizations have called on the international community to take a strong stand on the protection of human rights in Bangladesh. The call was made by seven human rights organizations in a joint statement on the occasion of International Human Rights Day (December 10).

The joint statement was released on Thursday (December 10) at 8 am Bangladesh time. Signed by: Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)

The statement said that in view of the Covid-19 epidemic situation, the Bangladesh government has suppressed the voice of independent expression and the media. Through this, the Awami League government has strengthened their authoritarian rule.

The statement from Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the government has been consistently abusing the Digital Security Act-2016, the Special Powers Act-1984 and other stringent laws. In addition, members of the security forces continue to torture political opponents and dissidents, including extrajudicial killings. Law enforcement is being acquitted of such heinous acts as serious human rights violations.

The statement also backed a letter dated October 26 from 10 members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the former Trump administration to impose sanctions on senior RAB officials for extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture.

In addition to the provisions of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the FARD’s Consolidated Appropriations Act-2020, the law also provides for specific senior members of the RAB to be charged with human rights violations under Section 6031 (c) of the Penal Code. Senator Todd Young and his eight Senate colleagues made the request to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Finance Minister Steven Manuche.

The statement from the human rights group said, “If sanctions are imposed on members of Bangladesh’s security forces, including the RAB, who are involved in human rights abuses, it will be a landmark step against these forces.” This will stop the culture of impunity in Bangladesh and will also prevent future human rights violations.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union (EU), should follow the same path in imposing sanctions, the statement said. It further said that as a result of the Kovid-19 epidemic, the issue of horrific corruption in the health sector of Bangladesh has also come up.

There is constant pressure on health workers to ensure the health of political leaders and influential people. Meanwhile, arbitrary arrests and detentions have taken place when the government has been criticized on these issues.

Veteran journalist Abul Asad, Ruhul Amin Gazi, photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajal and cartoonist Ahmed Kishore have been arrested for ignoring the UN’s call for the release of low-risk convicts and convicts in prisons during the Kovid-19 epidemic.

The government has relocated the Rohingya to a remote island in Bhasan Char, completely ignoring the direction of the United Nations, civil society and donors, the statement said. However, Bangladesh was committed not to relocate Rohingya refugees to the island without a technical and security assessment.

Human rights groups say many have been forcibly relocated to remote islands and that the Bangladeshi government has violated international law. Human rights groups say the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly shown that it is not committed to protecting human rights.

The statement said the international community should take a clear stand to ensure accountability of the various agencies and security forces in Bangladesh, an independent judiciary and freedom of the media.

Engr. Md. Wali Ullah
News Editor
Sristy Barta