The Ministry of External Affairs feels that the rapporteurs (SR) of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights on Bangladesh’s human rights have been influenced by false and fabricated information to discredit the government. The ministry says that the questions raised by SR about the freedom and protection of expression in Bangladesh are biased and motivated.
Recently, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) has published a press release on the issue of Bangladesh, adding the statements of some of the reporters. In view of that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said these things in a statement on Tuesday (November 21).
According to the statement, the attention of Bangladesh government has been drawn through a press release of OHCHR on November 14. It said UN experts urged Bangladesh to take the Human Rights Council review as an opportunity to address the deteriorating human rights situation. What is clear is that the OHCHR SRs are giving a negative observation completely denying the sincerity, goodwill and efforts of the Bangladesh government to improve the human rights situation.
OHCHR’s content is mainly the country’s human rights situation, labor unrest, political violence and Dr. Complaints against the government regarding the case against Muhammad Yunus, human rights activist Adilur Rahman Khan and journalist Rozina Islam. The questions raised by the three Special Rapporteurs (SRs) of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, Irene Khan, Clement Niletsosivol and Mary Lau, about the freedom of expression and protection of the Bangladesh government are intended.
The Special Rapporteur made these comments at a time when Bangladesh is in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the statement said.
took part Most of the countries praised Bangladesh in this review of the international community on November 13. It appears that the UN special envoys were influenced by a desire to discredit the government with false and fabricated information about the human rights situation in Bangladesh. Their one-sided observations appear ill-intentioned, especially in the context of the government’s active involvement with them.
The statement also said that Bangladesh is a sovereign country where the rule of law prevails. The three cases referred to in the OHCHR are handled by courts of law of independent jurisdiction, with no scope for government intervention. In particular, Dr. The case of Muhammad Yunus is pending for depriving the workers of a company he owns of dues. It is surprising that special rapporteurs are talking about human rights violations against the Bangladesh government when the government is actually protecting labor and human rights.
Here the government has failed to understand the need to issue such comments by the SRs in such haste without giving any time to implement the recommendations made in the UPR. As a result, the government views such behavior as completely incompatible with its own goals. Therefore, the Government of Bangladesh expects the SRs to be impartial in fulfilling their mandate as per the Code of Conduct.
The emphasis the rapportiers put on calling on the international community to ensure a safe and conducive environment for free and fair elections in Bangladesh went beyond their mandate.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also says that Bangladesh expects objectivity from the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights.
NI/MJ
