To say that the Awami League (AL) regime of the past decade and a half under Sheikh Hasina paid little heed to human rights would be a gross understatement; from the shockingly vast numbers of enforced disappearances that are slowly coming to light, to the years of silencing journalists and activists through draconian laws for attempting to speak the truth, to custodial abuse and filing false cases, there appears to be an inexhaustible list.
However, with Sheikh Hasina's government ousted after the mass uprising on August 5, there is now a pivotal need to prioritize human rights in our nation’s rebuilding efforts. Quite frankly, we must ensure that we never witness the atrocities that countless people have experienced over the past 15 years.
With that said, while violations of human rights were at their worst over the past decade and a half, as a nation, we have historically fared poorly when it comes to upholding basic human rights. This is the narrative we must begin to change immediately.
To that end, we must commend the interim government which, on August 29 took a significant step towards changing this narrative by signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
Such a move, which ensures Bangladesh is now signed to all nine core UN human rights treaties, must now be the catalyst needed for comprehensive reforms and ensure that any human rights violations are addressed and never repeated.
Too long have we lived in a climate of fear that stifles dissent. As we begin to build a better Bangladesh, let a renewed commitment to human rights be at the heart of it.