As many as 86 human rights activists, anti-war crimes campaigners, minority leaders, writers, and social activists have reacted to the statement of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Bangladesh.
The UN rights body stood accused of complete erasure of BNP’s involvement in the attack on journalists who were covering clashes on October 28 in its briefing note on Bangladesh published on October 31.
The eminent citizens observed that the statement does not reflect the facts of the incidents on October 28 and “emission of such involvement further explicitly encourages the perpetrators to carry on with their heinous violent activities.”
Pointing at the briefing titled “Bangladesh Political Protests”, the signatories found “some of the observations of the statement are not based on facts and hence should be revisited.
Since October 28, the country witnessed a series of violence including arsons, and attacks on police, among others, as the opposition combined BNP-Jamaat observing blockades.
The statement reflects a wrong perception of the ruling party by saying “who are thought to have been ruling party supporters.”
“The whole nation is shocked at the unprecedented attack on the residences of the chief justice and other Supreme Court judges. Despicable attacks injuring around 35 journalists also shocked the nation. Police have already identified the attackers, masked or unmasked, involved in the incident and found their clear connections with the BNP,” reads the statement.
“With regard to the OHCHR’s allegations of indiscriminate raids and arrests, we understand police showed its utmost patience in maintaining law and order, on October 28.”
The signatories include, among others, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, economist and environmentalist; Dr Sarwar Ali, freedom fighter, trustee of Freedom War Museum and executive president of Chhayanaut; Professor Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, Freedom Fighter and former vice chancellor, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU); KH Masud Siddiqui, former secretary and former member, Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC); Mohammed Nurul Huda, former inspector general of Bangladesh Police, Professor Dr Md Mustafizur Rahman, former vice chancellor, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science & Technology University; Ujjwal Bikash Dutta, former secretary and former member, Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC); Ramendu Majumdar, actor and stage director; Professor Dr Kanak Kanti Barua, and former vice chancellor, of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Earlier, the government rejected the report and asked the OHCHR to rectify it on the basis of “authentic facts”.
“If the OHCHR's statements are not highly objective, the office will lose people's support, acceptability and credibility,” the foreign ministry had said.
This is not the first time that the credibility of OHCHR has taken a blow.
Earlier, the media found the names of two Indian insurgents, both of whom were living in India, on the list of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh.
