Ensure rights to protest, fair trial

Amnesty International has urged Bangladesh to ensure that all arrests are made following international human rights law and standards.

It said the laws and standards include the arrestee's right to be brought promptly before a judge, the right to a fair trial, and the right to have access to legal counsel and family.

The global rights body, in a statement circulated yesterday, made a 10-point recommendation for Bangladesh's path towards protecting human rights in the years to come.

It urged Bangladesh to ensure the rights of the people to protest.

"Amnesty International verified evidence of unlawful use of force by the law enforcement authorities at a mass protest held on July 29, analysing and geo­locating photographs and video footage from the protests and collaborating with eyewitness accounts, which includes firing teargas near hospitals, assaulting unarmed protesters, people clad in civilian clothing attacking," said the read.

Amnesty demanded an end to violent repression of workers' protests, and demanded impartial investigations into the deaths of unionists and other protesters in October.

It also demanded accountability for custodial torture and death.

"Allegations of custodial torture and death remain prevalent in Bangladesh, with NGOs such as Odhikar and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) estimating that there were 94 custodial deaths in the first nine months of 2023," it pointed out.

Since the law enforcement authorities refuse to register complaints of enforced disappearances, the families find little to no avenues for redress, it said.

Amnesty also recommended that the government form a law criminalising enforced disappearance.

The government must also ratify the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, it said.

"Launch effective, independent and impartial investigations into the conduct of the Rapid Action Battalion, Detective Branch and other departments of law enforcement, particularly in relation to allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings perpetrated by its agents," urged Amnesty.

It recommended that Bangladesh ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and issue a declaration under Article 22 of the Convention Against Torture so that individuals facing violations of human rights guaranteed by these treaties can send complaints directly to the Human Rights Committee and Committee Against Torture.

Amnesty said the Cyber Security Act must be amended and sections 21, 25 and 28 of the law should be removed, because they criminalise legitimate expression of opinions or thoughts. Similar sections of the Digital Security Act have been used to stifle dissent.

It urged Bangladesh to abolish the death penalty and called for a moratorium on the death penalty pending full abolition.