Awami League says the US report on human rights in Bangladesh is ‘fabricated’

A report published by the United States Department of State on the human rights situation in Bangladesh states that there was no significant change in the country’s human rights situation in 2023.

As in 2022, there have been various incidents of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture, according to the US report.

The US State Department said in most cases the government did not take credible steps to identify and punish officials or members of the security forces involved in those human rights abuses.

Instead, the US has reported numerous reports of “massive impunity” for them.

Besides, the report also mentions that the citizens of Bangladesh do not have the power to change the government peacefully through free and fair elections.

However, the leaders of the ruling Awami League have commented that the US report on the human rights situation is ‘flawed’.

“This is a fabricated report and the rate of truth is very low,” Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim told BBC Bangla.

Mr. said to BBC Bangla that the US government will ask for “evidence” regarding the allegations raised in the report. I danced.

Analysts say that the picture of the human rights situation in Bangladesh in the report of the US State Department may have a negative impact on the country in the long run.

On Monday, the report titled ‘2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bangladesh’ has highlighted various issues including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, independence of the judiciary, obstruction of free expression, censorship on the media in Bangladesh.

It said the United States had credible information on serious human rights violations last year, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, government torture or brutality, arbitrary arrest and detention, inhuman and degrading treatment, and harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.

Besides, they have received information about persecution of people in other countries, it is mentioned in the report.

However, extrajudicial killings have decreased slightly compared to previous years.

Human rights organization Law and Arbitration Center (ASC) reported that eight people were victims of extrajudicial killings or died in law enforcement custody between January and September 2023.

However, another human rights organization reported 12 extrajudicial killings at the same time, according to the report.

On the other hand, citing local human rights organizations, the report said that 32 people went missing from January to September last year.

Most of the missing persons are said to be opposition political party leaders and dissidents.

The report also noted that the government has made little effort to prevent, investigate or punish the perpetrators of these incidents.

It also states that there are serious problems with the independence of the judiciary in Bangladesh.

The human rights report has alleged that the country is indiscriminately and unlawfully intruding on individuals’ privacy.

It also states that there have been instances of punishing a person’s relatives for his crimes.

Regarding media and freedom of speech, it has been said that as in 2022, strict restrictions have been imposed on freedom of expression and media.

The report also noted that violence or threats of violence against journalists, arbitrary arrests or prosecutions, censorship and severe restrictions on free expression on the Internet continued.

It has also been said that freedom of peaceful assembly and association has been interfered with and restrictions on freedom of movement have been imposed in Bangladesh.

Additional restrictive laws have been introduced to govern and finance private and civic organizations, the report said.

In particular, there have been allegations that the government has imposed severe restrictions on the activities of national and international human rights organizations and harassed them.

It has also been said that the power to change the government through fair elections is not in the hands of the citizens of Bangladesh.

It also raised the issue of corruption in Bangladesh in 2023.

According to the report, Bangladeshi law provides for the punishment of public officials who are accused of corruption. But it has been alleged that the government has not taken initiatives to implement the law effectively.

As a result, the officials involved in corruption often got impunity, the report said.

In addition, gender-based violence, especially: violence against family and intimate partners, sexual abuse, abuse at work, child labour, child-child marriage, forced marriage, violence against people from ethnic minority groups or ethnic minorities, criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual behavior between adults. , the report also noted significant restrictions on the freedom to organize independent trade unions and workers.

The government of the country has not yet made any official statement regarding the picture of the human rights situation in Bangladesh presented in the US State Department report.

However, the leaders of Awami League, which has come to power for the fourth consecutive term, have questioned the credibility of the US report.

“They often make such allegations about Bangladesh, most of which are untrue,” Awami League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim told BBC Bangla.

“They will be asked for evidence regarding these allegations,” he added.

He also criticized Mr. I danced.

“If they really had evidence to support the allegations, why didn’t they report it to the Bangladesh government?” he told BBC Bangla.

“They should have contacted the Bangladesh government to inform the matter and help solve the problem,” said Mr. I danced.

Besides, he also raised opposite questions about the human rights and law and order situation in the United States.

Mr. Nashim was saying, “Is their situation very good there?”

“It is often heard that people are dying due to police firing and torture. Many others are killing people by firing indiscriminately, racist violence is happening”, he said.

Awami League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim also expects the government to formally protest against the report presented by the US State Department on the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

The report published by the US State Department on Bangladesh’s human rights has been considered important by analysts since many days.

“Their report is taken seriously by the international community. So it is very important in building a country’s image to the outside world”, said Humayun Kabir, former diplomat of Bangladesh to BBC Bangla.

He also fears that the picture of the human rights situation in Bangladesh in the report published on Monday may have a negative impact on the country in the long run.

“After seeing such a picture of human rights and law and order situation, foreign big investors may not show enthusiasm to invest”, said Mr. to BBC Bangla. Kabir.

In addition, if the complaints mentioned in the report are not taken into account, there is a danger of falling into US sanctions in the future, analysts also say.

“This report can be seen as a signal”, said Mr. Kabir.

“Therefore, if this is not taken into account, there may be various sanctions on Bangladesh, which the United States imposes at various times to protect democracy and human rights”, said former diplomat Humayun Kabir.

In this regard, Mr. mentioned the ban imposed on RAB in 2021. Kabir.

The United States had imposed sanctions on this special force of Bangladesh and six of its officers on the charge of ‘involvement in serious human rights violations’.

Earlier, the country suspended Free Market Facility (GSP) for Bangladeshi goods in 2013 following the Rana Plaza collapse incident.

“If we take it seriously and start working on it now, there may be more bans,” Mr. said to BBC Bangla. Kabir.

However, the ruling Awami League leaders say that the government is not too worried about the matter.

“The situation in Bangladesh is not so bad that sanctions will come,” Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim told BBC Bangla.

He further said, “We have heard about such bans many times before and it is seen that the anti-government conspirators are spreading them conspiratorially.”