Human Rights Forum, Bangladesh (HRFB) has expressed disappointment over the government’s denial of human rights violations, and called for specific time-bound actions for improvement.
The network of 19 organisations is particularly disappointed the foreign minister, who led the official delegation at the UN Human Rights Council in April, once again refused to recognise extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, with the untenable argument such offences do not exist under Bangladeshi law.
Dr Dipu Moni said the allegations were made to undermine the state and the police. She denied media reports about the disappearance of 151 people allegedly by law enforcement agencies between January 2009 and June 2012.
The rights body wants the government to conduct transparent investigations and disclose the findings publicly to disprove the allegations.
On April 29 this year Bangladesh underwent the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, the first review was in 2009, where the government presented its evaluation, but delegates from 97 countries raised concerns and made up to 196 recommendations for specific actions to be taken in Bangladesh, to promote and protect human rights.
It is disappointing that the government’s self-evaluation of the state of human rights presented in Geneva did not reflect the reality in many ways, said the HRFB in a press statement.
The statement said as the review was held five days after the Savar tragedy, participating nations, while expressing sympathy for workers who lost their lives and were injured, raised issues related to workers’ rights including safety and security, and the right to unionise.
Several countries pressed for measures to protect workers’ rights and ensure work place safety.
It said the government rejected recommendations made by member states calling for the abolition of the death penalty, and refused to grant access or permit aid agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas and other refugees near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border region.
The rights forum’s statement said it is not in its interest to undermine the government’s role but the government must take steps to stop impunity with regard to the torture, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of citizens.
It said the forum is deeply concerned about the failure of relevant authorities to address violations of indigenous communities’ fundamental rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) including instances of rape of women and children, and the lack of deterrent actions through neutral and transparent investigations.
It calls for specific time-bound steps to implement the terms of the CHT Peace Accord, for immediate measures to ensure indigenous people’s land rights and for the appointment of an acceptable and neutral person to head the CHT Land Commission.
The forum expressed concern with regard to the absence of proper investigations into recent instances where religious minorities’ rights have been violated, especially militant responses to the on-going war crimes trials, and mentions prior violence perpetrated in Ramu and Ukhiya.
HRFB calls for neutral and transparent enquiries and urged the government to take immediate and specific actions to ensure security, dignity and equal rights for everyone, regardless of religious affiliations.
