Bangladesh silent on human rights issue in Geneva

At the recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Bangladesh was lauded for sheltering Rohingya refugees. However, it was also evident that Bangladesh’s image has been tarnished by the forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, curbing of freedom of expression and such.

Within the country, the government has a lot to say, and to outright deny, when it comes to allegations of abductions by the law enforcement agencies, torture in custody and extrajudicial killings. Yet in Geneva the government remained silent on these issues. It also asked for further time to clarify other issues pertaining to the controversial section 57 of the ICT act and the amendment of the digital act, legal rights of the ethnic and religious minorities, loopholes in the child marriage act, gender inequality in wages and so on.

There are no obligations under the UPR procedure, but the dignity of a democratic country is involved. It was at this forum that the former foreign minister of the present ruling party’s government has firmly committed to zero tolerance against extrajudicial killings. But now if the government needs time to even give assurance regarding investigation into these matters and action against the culprits, then questions will certainly arise. The questions will not arise at the global forum alone, but among the people of the country too, particularly in the election year. If the government had no weaknesses in this regard, then it wouldn’t have one stand at home and a silent stance abroad.

Concern about Bangladesh’s human rights situation has become a regular matter at a global level. Britain’s human rights minister Tariq Ahmad said that the disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh were deeply disturbing. Even before Awami League came to power in 2009, the UN Human Rights special rapporteur has been expressing interest in coming to Bangladesh.

However, till today Bangladesh has not been able to host the rapporteur. It is not a matter of shame for the people of Bangladesh that the special rapporteur could not be invited over the past decade. It is the government of Bangladesh that must bear the blame. It is ironic that why Bangladesh is praised for its sheltering Rohingya refugees, it has failed to sign the 1951 convention regarding refugees.

We hope the government sheds it double standards. There are issues in the UPR which Bangladesh is so vocal about in the local political scenario, but when it comes to the UN platform, they simply remain silent.

The people of the country have the right to know why Bangladesh has not been able to change its position regarding around 60 recommendations including international conventions pertaining to protection against disappearances and other human rights issues. They have the right to know why the representatives of the country remain silent on various important issues at the global forum. The government must give a plausible explanation to these matters.