OHCHR says Bangladesh protests reveals top leaders involved in brutal repression

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS – UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Wednesday that the repression of mass protests in Bangladesh last year which toppled long time prime minister Sheikh Hasina left over  1,400 people dead in 46 days and the vast majority shot by security forces.

The report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into the alleged crimes indicated that thousands were injured, including one youngster who was shot in the hand at point-blank range for throwing stones in addition to those killed by the former government’s security and intelligence services alongside Awami League party associates.

Mr. Volker said “There are reasonable grounds to believe that officials of the former government, its security and intelligence apparatus, together with violent elements associated with the former ruling party, committed serious and systematic human rights violations”.

He highlighted that some of the gravest violations detailed in the report may constitute international crimes that could be heard by the International Criminal Court as Bangladesh is a State party to the Rome Statute which created the tribunal in The Hague.

The ICC’s foundational Statute gives it jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression following an amendment in 2010.

He said that alleged crimes in Bangladesh against the student-led protest included “hundreds of extrajudicial killings, extensive arbitrary arrest and detention and torture, and ill treatment, including of

OHCHR noted that these violations “were carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of the former political leadership and senior security officials, with a specific goal of suppressing the protests and keep the former government’s grip on power”.

According to the OHCHR report, 12 to 13% of those killed were children.

Bangladesh Police reported that 44 of its officers were killed between 1 July and 15 August 2024.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down after 15 years in power due to the protests were triggered by the High Court’s decision to reinstate a deeply unpopular quota system in public service jobs.

OHCHR report said that the broader grievances were entrenched, arising from “destructive and corrupt politics and governance” that spurred inequality.

“I went to one of the hospitals in in Bangladesh when I visited, and I could talk to some of the survivors and some of them will be disabled for their lives. Especially young people…some of them were children,” Mr. Türk told reporters.

“The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former Government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition,” Turk insisted.

He added “The testimonies and evidence we gathered paint a disturbing picture of rampant State violence and targeted killings, that are amongst the most serious violations of human rights, and which may also constitute international crimes. Accountability and justice are essential for national healing and for the future of Bangladesh”.

OHCHR office probe mission began its work in Bangladesh on 16 of September 2024 with a team that included a forensic physician, a weapons expert, a gender expert and an open-source analyst.

The investigators visited protest hotspots including universities and hospitals and their work was complemented by over 900 witness testimonies, the report concluded.