US Congress discusses Bangladesh's human rights situation and the election

Speakers of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission panel of the US House of Representatives, have said that they believe that until impartial and effective accountability mechanisms are adopted by the government of Bangladesh to investigate and address the human rights violations that have taken place, the US must not lift the existing sanctions that it has imposed. At a briefing of the commission on 15 August, the panelists spoke on the human rights situation in Bangladesh, allegations of repression and suppression of human rights activists and also on the forthcoming election. They called for stronger action in this regard.

This virtual briefing on 'Human Rights in Bangladesh: An Update" was held virtually on Tuesday. This organisation of the House of Representative works for the campaign, protection and support of international human rights. The briefing was organised by Democrat congressman James P McGovern and Republican congressman Christopher H Smith, co-chairmen of the commission. The Library of Congress' foreign law specialist Tariq Ahmad conducted the event.

Panel discussants at this briefing on Bangladesh's human rights situation ahead of the election included Asian Human Rights Commission and Asian Legal Resource Centre's liaison officer Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights fellow Kristi Ueda, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, Julia Bleckner, and visiting expert of the US Institute of Peace's South Asia Programme, Geoffrey Macdonald.

At the start of the briefing, Tariq Ahmad said the World Bank has described Bangladesh as an inspiration of growth and development. According to the World Bank, the country has reduced poverty in record time. Within four decades it earned the status of a mid-income country. However, despite economic success, experts have expressed concern over the gradual centralisation of power under the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina has been in power for 14 years.

Experts as well as local and international human rights agencies have brought to the fore the deterioration of the country's human rights situation and the regression of democracy. They have recorded the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, curbing of the independence of the judiciary, repression of journalists and bloggers, prohibitions of freedom of speech and press freedom, restrictions on internet and so on. The use of the Digital Security Act for the arrest and trial of journalists, social media users and bloggers has been of particular concern.

In the written statement of the briefing, Asian Human Rights Commission and Asian Legal Resource Centre's liaison officer Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman said that the human rights situation in Bangladesh was still a matter of concern. He said that the sanctions against RAB by the US had significant impact. After the sanctions, there had been a decrease in extrajudicial killings.

Ashrafuzzaman said that figures indicate that the sanctions had helped in saving lives. Bangladesh's national election was nearing. The people were eager to vote. But the government is making it difficult to hold of a credible, fair and inclusive election difficult. He called upon the Human Rights Commission to use full force to reduce the price Bangladeshis were having to pay for this.

Robert F Kennedy Human Rights fellow Kristi Ueda, in her written statement, said just as before the 2018 election, the Bangladesh government is restricting people's rights before the election to be held in January 2024. They are targetting civil society organisations, human rights activists, journalist and critics of the government.

These individuals and their families have been subjected to retaliatory arrests, harassment, and intimidation by state officials, who have enjoyed impunity for their misconduct, she added. Freedom of expression and free press continue to erode in Bangladesh.

Senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, Julia Bleckner, said the measures taken by the US had created a significant impact. As a result of the sanction, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances had decreased. But people were still being picked up and detained unlawfully. There are also reports of torture in custody.

Geoffrey Macdonald said Bangladesh's national election to be held in 2024 is extremely important. Many Bangladeshi and international experts have found the last two national elections of the country (2014 and 2018) to be flawed, violent and rife with irregularities. He said no matter which party won, it was essential that a credible election be held in the country to restore people's trust in public representative institutions.