The UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group in Geneva yesterday recommended Bangladesh thoroughly investigate all the incidents of abductions, enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings.

Reviewing Bangladesh's human rights records for the third time, the group also called for probing the alleged involvement of law enforcement agencies in those incidents and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The HRC member states suggested that Bangladesh should ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) to address those issues. They lauded the country for its efforts and achievements in various sectors.

Raising the governance issues, the UN body called for urgent action by the government to guarantee freedom of association, increase transparency in the recruitment of migrant workers to combat forced labour and human trafficking, protect female workers from exploitation in the informal sector, and eradicate child labour, according to the tweets of the UNHRC Secretariat.

The UPR working group recommended that Bangladesh should continue fighting violence against women and children, guarantee the full realisation of their human rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights, and end all forms of discrimination and violence against LGBT people.

It said Bangladesh should make primary and secondary school compulsory irrespective of gender, ethnicity; explicitly prohibit corporal punishment, and amend the child marriage restraint act prohibiting child marriage without exception i.e. “special circumstances”.

The HRC members urged Bangladesh to review the media law, including the digital security and ICT acts, to decriminalise defamation and ensure freedom of expression. They recommended protecting journalists and human rights defenders from harassment and investigating violations against them.

The UPR is a unique mechanism of the HRC aimed at improving the human rights situation on the ground of each of the 193 UN member states.

Under this mechanism, the human rights situation of all UN members is reviewed every five years. Forty-two states are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 states each. These three sessions are usually held in January/February, May/June and October/November.

Bangladesh's first and second UPR reviews took place in February 2009 and April 2013, respectively.

FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT

The Bangladesh foreign ministry in a press release yesterday said the international community has highly appreciated the remarkable humanitarian role of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in providing shelter to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas and continuing humanitarian assistance to them.

During the third cycle UPR at the 30th session of HRC, the UN member states also commended Bangladesh for its efforts in promoting and protecting human rights.

Law Minister Anisul Huq led the Bangladesh delegation to the session. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, Senior Secretary of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Mohammad Shahidul Haque, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva Ambassador Shameem Ahsan and representatives from various government offices participated in the event.

The law minister highlighted Bangladesh's achievements in promotion and protection of human rights and socio-economic advancements.

Representatives of some 107 countries praised Bangladesh's endeavours in fulfilling its human rights commitments. They also put forward recommendations for continuing the initiatives in many areas, said the foreign ministry statement.

Bangladesh's comprehensive and informative national report submitted in February has been widely acclaimed. The HRC members highly praised Bangladesh's constructive engagement with the UN Human Rights mechanism, particularly with the UPR process.

Bangladesh's remarkable social and economic progress over the last decade, especially in the field of women empowerment, social security, health, sanitation, education for all and usage of ICT have been well recognised by the member states.

They made recommendations on continuing Bangladesh's good practices in upholding human rights and strengthening efforts in few areas such as accountability of law enforcement agencies, protecting freedom of expression, eliminating child marriage, addressing human trafficking, capacity building of national institutions, and removing discriminations by enacting an anti-discrimination act.

They acknowledged that Bangladesh made progress in ensuring labour rights and workplace safety and recommended improving labour issues. A report on Bangladesh's UPR will be finalised on Thursday.

According to the HRC Secretariat, the law minister stressed the need for cooperation between Bangladesh and various international committees on the rights of women and migrant workers.

He said the country was facing global challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism. Climate change also impacts human rights and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina therefore established a climate trust fund, he added.

The minister informed that Bangladesh launched massive reforms to the labour and industrial sector following the collapse of Rana Plaza.