Amnesty calls for an end to use of force against protesters

Amnesty International has called on the government to halt the use of force against protesters in Bangladesh. The UK-based organisation made this call in a statement on Monday.

In a statement, Amnesty's interim regional director for South Asia, Smriti Singh, said there is an urgent need to de-escalate the situation in Bangladesh as it threatens further violations of rights of the people and is likely to perpetuate more violence and turmoil in the months leading to the upcoming General Elections.

The authorities should be aiming to defuse the situation, ensuring that only law-enforcement agencies that are properly trained in policing of assemblies in a human rights compliant manner are involved in regulating protests and any use of force by such agencies must go no further than is necessary and proportionate.

Amnesty International strongly urges Bangladeshi authorities to exercise restraint and only use the minimum level of force where strictly necessary. Firearms and rubber bullets must never be used to disperse an assembly. The violence of a few individuals must not lead to a response which treats the entire protests as violent.

Last Saturday, clashes occurred between BNP leaders and workers at different locations, including Matuail and Uttara in Dhaka, during the BNP sit-in programme at the entry points of Dhaka. BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was injured in the clash at Matuail.

Amnesty International has demanded an immediate impartial investigation into the attacks on opposition leaders Rahim Newaz and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and urged to bring the perpetrators to justice. Additionally, the organisation has called upon the authorities to ensure that protesters and opposition leaders are not forcibly arrested.

Concerned about violence, Amnesty said the violence over the weekend is deeply worrying and may have implications for the human rights situation before, during and after the elections.  Instead of cracking down on protesters, the authorities should fulfil their duty to facilitate the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.