The United Nations rights office released a comprehensive report on Wednesday, February 12, shedding light on the human rights violations in Bangladesh during a turbulent period between July 1 and August 15 of the previous year. According to the report, the former government of Bangladesh orchestrated systematic attacks and killings of protesters in a bid to maintain its grip on power. These actions could potentially constitute "crimes against humanity," as highlighted by the UN rights office.
The report's findings are based on over 230 confidential in-depth interviews conducted with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including victims, witnesses, protest leaders, and rights defenders. Additionally, the investigation reviewed medical case files, photos, videos, and other pertinent documents related to the incidents. The UN rights office estimated that up to 1,400 individuals may have lost their lives during this 45-day period, a figure significantly higher than the interim government's most recent estimate of 834 casualties.
The report revealed that the vast majority of those killed were "shot by Bangladesh's security forces." Alarmingly, children comprised 12 to 13 percent of the casualties. The findings indicate that security forces actively supported Hasina's government amid the unrest, which initially began as protests against civil service job quotas but soon escalated into widespread calls for Hasina to step down.
Volker Turk, a senior official at the UN rights office, expressed grave concern about the situation.
"Accountability and justice are essential for national healing and for the future of Bangladesh," Turk emphasized.
He further stressed the importance of facing the dire actions taken during this period.
"The best way forward for Bangladesh is to face the horrific wrongs committed," he stated.
Turk also described the government's actions as a calculated strategy.
"The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition," Turk noted.
The fact-finding mission was initiated at the request of Bangladesh's interim leader, Mohammed Yunus. It comprised a team of human rights investigators, a forensics physician, and a weapons expert. Their findings serve as a stark warning to the Bangladeshi government to confront the "horrific wrongs committed" during this tumultuous time.
The report paints a grim picture of rampant state violence and targeted killings orchestrated with political direction.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe hundreds of extrajudicial killings, extensive arbitrary arrests and detentions, and torture were carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of the political leadership and senior security officials as part of a strategy to suppress the protests," Turk added.
The findings "paint a disturbing picture of rampant state violence and targeted killings," he concluded.
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