The United States strongly criticized the human rights situation in Bangladesh

The inability of citizens to change the government through free and fair elections, the arrest of opposition leaders and activists on false charges, interference with freedom of expression, interference with the freedom of expression, human rights violations and torture are severely criticized in the US Human Rights Report.

The United States has strongly criticized the human rights situation in Bangladesh. They said, freedom movement is prevented in Bangladesh. There is the inability of citizens to peacefully change their government through free and fair elections. Serious and unreasonable barriers to political participation. There is serious corruption in Bangladesh government. The government has severely restricted or harassed domestic and international human rights organizations. Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, cruel torture, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment by the government. There is a threat to life. Serious problems with the independence of the judiciary, political prisoners and detention. Opposition party leaders and activists have been arrested on charges of political involvement.

Opposition party leaders and activists have been arrested and prosecuted with false charges on the pretext of threat to national security. The US State Department said these things in the annual human rights report based on the events that happened in Bangladesh in 2023. It has detailed the events that happened in Bangladesh that year. It has been said that the former prime minister and the chairperson of the main opposition BNP were kept under house arrest that year as well. He was not allowed to go abroad for necessary treatment. On the other hand, he had to be treated in a hospital in Bangladesh. It is said that in 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the 2008 corruption and embezzlement case. In 2019, he was transferred from the jail to the hospital. He was transferred from there in 2020 and placed under house arrest. Regarding political prisoners and detainees, international and domestic legal experts say the allegations against opposition leader Khaleda Zia are lacking in evidence. This suggests that the political tableau has been arranged to remove him from the electoral process. On the other hand, prosecutors have withdrawn several corruption cases against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The report also looks at media freedom. It has been said that the constitution of Bangladesh has given freedom of expression to everyone, including members of the press and media. But the government has frequently interfered with this right. There are significant restrictions on freedom of expression. Criticism of the government is censored by members of the media and bloggers themselves for fear of government harassment or retaliation. It has highlighted the picture of corruption and irregularities at the government level, harassment in the field of justice, arbitrary arrests and various kinds of oppression. Note that every year the United States publishes an annual report reviewing the human rights situation in different countries around the world. As part of that, this report was published last night Bangladesh time. It also states in the Bangladesh chapter that there are severe restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Bangladesh. These include violence or threats of violence against journalists. Journalists are unjustly arrested or prosecuted. Censorship is done. There are severe restrictions on internet freedom. There is also massive interference with peaceful assembly or free assembly. There are restrictive laws against the organization, funding and private and civil society organizations. There are restrictions on free movement. According to the report, there is widespread impunity for human rights violations and torture in Bangladesh. In most cases the government does not take credible steps to identify or punish officials or members of the security forces accused of human rights abuses.
It says that the International Criminal Court was established in Bangladesh in 2010 to try war crimes and atrocities committed during the 1971 War of Independence. That court is punishing. This includes the death penalty. Many observers see the process as politically motivated. Because, the court specifically accused members of opposition political parties. It talks about illegal killings, including arbitrary and extrajudicial killings, which the police investigated on their own. They have caused incidents where people have been injured or killed due to their physical beatings. The government has not released a total number of people killed by security forces. Even did not conduct a transparent investigation of these incidents. Human rights groups have expressed doubts about the independence and professional standards of those who conducted the investigation.
Throughout the year, law enforcement conducted raids targeting alleged counter-terrorism activities, drugs and illegal firearms, the report said. During some of the sieges, some suspicious deaths occurred during arrests. The same thing happened in other law enforcement operations. The report also said that extrajudicial killings decreased last year compared to the previous year. The human rights group Ain and Shalish Center reported that eight people were victims of extrajudicial killings, or custodial killings, between January and September. Two of them were killed in firing by law enforcement agencies. Three were killed by physical abuse before or after being taken into custody. On March 26, Sultana Jasmine died of a cerebral hemorrhage in RAB custody. RAB officials said he suffered a stroke while in custody. But his family members called it a cover-up. They cited the head wound as evidence in this case. RAB unit command officers told the media that Jasmin was picked up for his involvement in financial fraud. There is a case against him under the Digital Security Act.
He is accused of extorting money from job aspirants using his Facebook account. The government formed a committee to investigate the cause of his death and submit a report within 15 days. The committee submitted a report in August. But that report was not published. In October, two High Court judges said the report was ambiguous. It does not adequately explain the arrest and detention. The report was not released at the time of comment. On March 18, plainclothes RAB officers shot and killed a person in Sonargaon, Narayanganj. One person was injured. Disappearances and abductions continue, according to reports from human rights groups and the media. There are complaints that the security service people are doing this. A local human rights organization reported that 32 people were forcibly disappeared between January and September. The government has taken limited initiatives to prevent, investigate or punish these incidents. Civil society organizations have reported that victims of enforced disappearances are opposition political activists and dissidents. Security guards have released some people without charge following reports of disappearances. Arrested others. Freedom House’s ‘Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report’ notes that security agencies continue to commit human rights abuses, including enforced disappearances, use of secret prisons, arbitrary arrests and torture. Throughout the year, families of victims of enforced disappearances have called on the government to return their family members and prosecute members of law enforcement agencies involved in the abductions. Victims’ families organized a mother’s call rally. made a statement That said, none of their members are getting any legal, administrative or judicial remedy. UN Rapporteurs, including the UN Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, wrote a letter to the Government of Bangladesh in December 2022 expressing concern about the harassment of Mother’s Call and local human rights organization Odhikar. In March, the government said it was looking into 28 cases of enforced disappearance. It also criticized civil society organizations for overstating the number of victims of enforced disappearances to the United Nations. Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed secured a travel pass to return home in June. He has been stuck in India for eight years due to illegal status after his forced disappearance from Bangladesh. In 2015, he was picked up from his house in Dhaka. He was missing for two months before being released near the Indian border.
In the media freedom section of the report, the law restricts hate speech. But not clearly defined. The government seems to have restricted speaking against the security of the state, against friendly relations with foreign states. Criticism of a constitutional assembly is made a criminal offense by law. Under the Digital Security Act, spreading propaganda against the freedom war, national anthem or national flag carries a life sentence. The government has used the Digital Security Act extensively throughout the year against critics of the government. The Law Minister reported that at least 7,000 cases under the Digital Security Act are pending across the country. In August, the government announced it would change the Digital Security Act to the Cyber ​​Security Act. Parliament passed this law in September. The Center for Law and Arbitration reported 119 incidents of harassment of journalists from January to June. Another human rights organization said there were 309 attacks or harassment of journalists between January and September. 138 journalists were injured. An Awami League advocate filed a case under the Digital Security Act against the editor of Prothom Alo and a journalist for allegedly using print, online and electronic media to damage the image and reputation of the state. Journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested by the police on this charge. This has fueled outrage against the Digital Security Act. Students, lawyers, human rights activists, civil society organizations, editors’ councils and political parties protested across the country demanding the amendment or cancellation of this law. RAB arrested the chairman of a union council in Jamalpur in June. Police arrested several others on the charge of killing journalist Ghulam Rabbani Nadeem.