A team of human rights experts from the United Nations is scheduled to visit Dhaka next week to engage with the interim government of Bangladesh regarding the ongoing investigations into human rights abuses that occurred during the recent unrest in the country, according to a UN spokesperson.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had a discussion with Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, covering "a comprehensive range of support that the UN Human Rights Office could offer to the interim government and the transition, including accountability issues," according to Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The visiting team will focus on discussing "areas of support and the modalities for an investigation of human rights violations in the context of the recent violence and unrest," Haq added.
In a statement issued from Geneva, Turk emphasized, “A comprehensive, impartial, and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step.”
Meanwhile, a report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva highlighted that following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last week, Hindus and their temples in Bangladesh were targeted.
The report noted, “On August 5 and 6, Hindu houses and properties were reportedly attacked, vandalised and looted in 27 districts.”
Additionally, it stated, “A number of places of worship were also damaged, including an ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple in Meherpur, Khulna division, which was vandalised and set on fire.”
In response to these attacks, the report indicated that “various student organisations and other ordinary people have been reportedly forming groups to protect minorities and maintain vigilance over religious sites belonging to minority communities.”
The interim government’s Religious Affairs Adviser, AFM Khalid Hossain, mentioned that a list of damaged places of worship and properties had been compiled, and a hotline was established for reporting attacks on minorities, as per the report.
Referring to the military as “Pakistani actors,” the report stated, “Although the demonstrations began as a mainly peaceful movement at universities, they descended into violence in mid-July, particularly following senior government officials’ inflammatory remarks referring to the protesters as ‘razakars’, a deeply derogatory term historically associated with real and perceived collaborators of Pakistani actors during the 1971 war of independence.”
The protests, the report said, were also fueled by underlying economic frustrations among Bangladesh's youth, many of whom, due to high unemployment and underemployment, feel disillusioned by the lack of opportunities.
The report further disclosed that “according to available public reports by media and the protest movement itself, between July 16 and August 11, more than 600 people were killed. Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from July 16 to August 4, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and August 6.”
However, these figures may be underreported due to curfews, internet blackouts, and restrictions on hospitals, the report said.
The majority of the casualties were attributed to the actions of security forces and the student wing associated with the Awami League, the report added.
It also noted that some of those killed were either “only lightly armed” or “acting violently” but were not carrying weapons.
The report highlighted instances where “security forces unlawfully used lethal force against protesters posing no apparent threat, unarmed protesters, and bystanders.”
The report added that at least four journalists and 32 children were among those killed.
The OHCHR also pointed out that thousands of individuals were arrested, with reports indicating that many of those detained faced mistreatment and even torture while in police custody.
At various checkpoints, where police and army personnel were stationed, "phones were reportedly being checked to remove evidence of police violence," the report said.
Turk concluded by stating, “Accountability for violations and justice for the victims are key for the way forward and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process.”
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