We must improve our human rights record

In the latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take stock of the human rights situation in its member states, a total of 301 recommendations have been made to improve Bangladesh's human rights record. This comes at a time when the country is engulfed in deep political tensions with the national election less than two months away, punctuated by protests by RMG workers for a fair minimum wage. Naturally, these and other related issues featured in the analysis of our rights situation.

Some of the major recommendations made by UN member states included conducting a free, fair and credible national election, amending the Cyber Security Act (CSA), ensuring freedom of expression, ensuring all ILO-recognised rights of the workers, ratifying additional treaties and conventions to deal with the cases of enforced disappearances, and holding independent and transparent investigations into them. Bangladesh is supposed to review these suggestions and declare its decisions before the 55th session of the UNHRC in February next year.

Our human rights situation has been increasingly under scrutiny in recent years, with many national and international organisations criticising the government for curtailing freedom of expression and the media. Many journalists, human rights defenders and civil society members were victimised under the draconian Digital Security Act (DSA). While the government enacted the CSA replacing the DSA, experts allege that there is not much difference between the two.

Additionally, incidents of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by law enforcement agencies have harmed our image abroad, yet the government has done little to bring the perpetrators to book. Meanwhile, three RMG workers were recently killed as police opened fire on them when they were protesting for a liveable minimum wage. Then there is the government clampdown on BNP members following the events of October 28, which has led to the arrests of around 12,000 leaders and activists, according to the party. Only the other day, three UN human rights special rapporteurs expressed their concern over the sharp rise in political violence.

Under these circumstances, there is no option left for the government but to work hard on addressing various abuses of human rights in the country. To that end, the first step is taking the UN recommendations seriously and showing some improvement before the next UNHRC session.