Urgent Appeal for Immediate International Action Against State Repression and Human Rights Violation in Bangladesh

 

To: The United Nations and the International Community

 

Respected Member of the Global Community,

We, Bangladeshi academics and professionals based in the United Kingdom write with profound distress regarding the severe repression and state terrorism occurring in our homeland. We draw the global community’s attention to the government’s brutal silencing of unarmed students and civilians who advocated for their legitimate rights. 

Background:

Discriminatory Government Quota Policy: Escalating Repression and Mass Killings

Amidst a rapidly rising unemployment crisis, student-led unrest began due to dissatisfaction with the government’s job quota policy, which reserves 30% of civil service positions for descendants of 1971 Liberation War veterans. This policy, perceived as unjust by many unemployed graduates, led to protests met with lethal police force, resulting in six deaths and widespread outrage. The protests have since evolved into a broader call for governmental reform. The government’s response has been brutal, with over 170 unarmed protesters killed and thousands tortured.

Restricted Communication and Press Media

On 20th July, the Bangladeshi government imposed an indefinite curfew, a shoot-on-sight order, and a total telecommunications blackout, isolating the country from the world. Although partial internet access has resumed, strict surveillance hinders the verification of ongoing abuses. Severe media restrictions threaten transparency and democracy. The Bangladeshi diaspora has turned to international media and the UN for assistance, highlighting the crisis and pushing for accountability. Despite global condemnation, the ruling Awami League denies the violations and shows no remorse, further undermining justice and equality.

Continued Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh

Abductions, Repression, and Resistance: The primary six conveners and hundreds of others involved in the movement were apprehended by police and forced to read out a statement on 28th July declaring the withdrawal of the movement. This paints a grim picture of dictatorship. Awami-directed law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 innocent people as we draft this letter. Despite the associated dangers, the protest has now expanded to include academics, lawyers, journalists, and other professionals, demanding an apology and resignation from the government. Notably, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, this is not the first instance of suppressing dissent through violence, abductions, and propaganda.

Killing Innocent Civilians: Due to open fire on the streets, over 200 people have died, including small children struck by bullets that entered homes through windows. Numerous older adults have also been killed. In Dhaka, children playing on rooftops were tragically shot by bullets fired from helicopters.

Mass Arrests and Manipulation of Narrative: Every day, hundreds of innocent civilians are being arrested on false charges to scapegoat them and shield the actual perpetrators, deflecting blame from the authorities for the killing of students and manipulating the narrative.

Pressing Appeal for United Nations Action

The government, ruling through controversial elections for the past 16 years, offers unapologetic and farcical negotiation terms to its people, denying all state crimes and conducting no legitimate investigations to remain in power. The mass uprising shows that the people no longer rely on the current administration. Given the scale and severity of these human rights violations, we urgently call upon the United Nations to take immediate action. We request an independent investigation into the following:

1.     Ceise Lethal Force and Extrajudicial Killings: An inquiry into the deaths of peaceful protesters, including students and children, and the alleged involvement of law enforcement and military forces, including the use of UN-marked tanks by the Bangladesh Army.

 

2.     Accountability for Enforced Disappearances and Torture: An investigation into the abduction, torture, and detention of protesters, ensuring accountability for these crimes under international law.

3.     Justification for the Suppression of Free Speech and Media: An assessment of the government’s restrictions on communication and media freedom hinder reporting and verifying these events.

4.     Justice for Innocent Civilians: A thorough investigation into the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians caused by indiscriminate firing, particularly from helicopters, and holding those responsible accountable for violating the rights of individuals not participating in protests.

 

5.     Immediate Release of Detained Innocent Civilians: An urgent call for the immediate release of all innocent civilians wrongfully arrested and detained amidst the crackdown. Many have been imprisoned simply for being in the vicinity of protests or due to arbitrary arrests during the government’s wide-reaching clampdown.

We plea for justice for these courageous students, ruthlessly killed by the Bangladesh Government and law enforcement bodies, including the Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Armed Forces, and the Awami League student wing. Such oppression is not just an attack on students; it is an assault on our nation’s future.

Conclusion: We remain in safety in our homes away from home in Bangladesh while helplessly learning about our kin and thousands of families there facing deaths, arrests, and abductions daily. High school and college students are found in jails or dead after being missing for days, tormenting their families’ dreams and futures. The Hasina administration has repeatedly ordered hospitals in Bangladesh to refuse treatment for the severely injured, which is a clear indication of propaganda against the rightful protests of the citizens.

We implore the United Nations and the international community to respond to these grave injustices. The Hasina administration’s record of suppressing dissent through violence and intimidation must be addressed to prevent further loss of life and uphold the principles of justice and human dignity. An independent investigation is essential to ensure accountability and restore faith in the rule of law.

By supporting this appeal, you stand with grieving families and uphold the fundamental human rights of all Bangladeshis. We ask for your signatures and voices in our call for justice and our nation’s and humanity’s future. Let us not be silent in such oppression; we can make a difference together.

Heartfelt gratitude for your attention.

On behalf of Bangladeshi civil society in the United Kingdom