New Delhi: UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday, July 25, appealed to the Bangladesh government to “urgently disclose full details” about the crackdown on protests, which have been raging in the country for several weeks now.
Türk urged the Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina “to ensure all law enforcement operations abide by international human rights norms and standards”.
The UN chief said, based on the latest reports, that more than 170 people have been killed and over a thousand injured in the protests rocking the country. He also said that several injured have been denied medical care, and many protestors have been missing for days since protests erupted.
At least two journalists have been reportedly killed and hundreds of people, including opposition leaders, have been arrested, he said.
“In order to begin to rebuild gravely-damaged public trust and create an environment conducive to public dialogue on the underlying concerns that led to this wave of violence, I urge the Government to ensure that all operations of law enforcement agencies are conducted strictly in line with international human rights norms and standards, particularly regarding the policing of protests, including use of force,” he said.
He called on the Hasina government to fully restore internet access to allow all people, including journalists and media outlets, to communicate freely and in line with international law.
“Blunt measures such as a blanket deliberate Internet shutdown for a prolonged period contravene international law, affecting States’ obligations to respect freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, as well as a wide range of other rights, including freedom of association and of movement, the rights to health and education, and a number of economic rights,” he added.
The UN official called for an impartial, independent and transparent investigation into all alleged human rights violations. He offered his office’s support in this regard.
Türk expressed hope that the Supreme Court’s decision to bring down the quota in government jobs for those who took part in the Bangladesh liberation struggle could possibly lead to a peaceful dialogue among various stakeholders and contain the ongoing violence. He urged political leaders to refrain from making any inciting remarks which could further exacerbate the situation.
