Situation in Bangladesh stabilised, although some concerns persisted

Following the change in the government, some incidents were reported in August last year. Since then the human rights situation in Bangladesh stabilised, although some concerns persisted.

This was said in the “2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Bangladesh”, published by the US Department of State.

The executive summary of the report says, “After weeks of mass student protests and hundreds of persons killed in clashes with police and Awami League party youth wings, on 5 August, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country. On 8 August, the president swore in an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in the role of “Chief Advisor” (prime minister-equivalent).”

“After some incidents in August, the human rights situation in the country stabilised, although some concerns persisted,” it added.

It read, “Significant human rights issues – primarily under the previous government – included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary arrest or detention; transnational repression against individuals in another country by the previous government, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, and censorship; significant restrictions on workers’ freedom of association; violence or threats against labor activists or union members; and significant presence of the worst forms of child labour.

The report also said, “There were numerous reports of widespread impunity for human rights abuses under the previous government, which rarely took credible steps to identify and punish officials or security force members who committed human rights abuses. After the fall of the previous government, the Interim Government arrested members of the previous government accused of committing human rights abuses.

“Credible reports by human rights organisations and media documented serious human rights abuses by the former ruling Awami League party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League in July and August. The Interim Government worked with the United Nations and used both its ordinary justice system and the Bangladeshi International Criminal Tribunal to hold the perpetrators accountable,” it added.