The United States has claimed that the human rights situation in Bangladesh has somewhat stabilized following the change of power on August 5, 2024. However, concerns remain in various areas.
The claims were made in the US Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2024, published on its website on Tuesday.
The report said that last year, Bangladesh saw repeated clashes between students, police, and Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League. It stated that several hundred people were killed during weeks of protests, and in the aftermath, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5.
The report claimed that after certain developments in August, the country’s human rights situation became stable, though there are still many areas of concern.
According to the US report, there were widespread allegations of human rights abuses during the ousted government’s tenure. These included arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, arbitrary arrests, state harassment of critics living abroad, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and the press, violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, significant restrictions on the right to form trade unions, violence or threats against labor rights advocates or union members, and the persistence of the worst forms of child labor.
The report alleged that despite these accusations, the previous government granted widespread impunity, with few efforts made to identify or punish officials or law enforcement personnel involved. However, it noted that under the current government, many individuals accused of human rights violations during the former regime have been taken into custody.
It said incidents from July and August last year were documented based on “credible” reports from various human rights organizations and media outlets, which found evidence of serious human rights abuses committed by Chhatra League.
The report added that the interim government is working jointly with the United Nations to bring perpetrators to justice. Authorities intend to use both Bangladesh’s existing judicial system and the International Crimes Tribunal to ensure accountability.
