State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting human rights, saying the country witnessed repeated violations over the past 17 years.
“We have seen how human rights were repeatedly violated in different sectors during the past 17 years,” she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The State Minister said the Bangladesh BNP has formed a ‘humane government’ and reaffirmed its pledge to safeguard human rights.
“BNP worked in the past to protect and strengthen human rights. The government will continue efforts to reinforce those protections in the future,” she said when asked about a letter sent by several international human rights organisations to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The letter was sent by Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Tech Global Institute.
In the letter, the organisations said the current moment presents ‘an opportunity to write a new chapter in Bangladesh’s history.’
“Your actions will have a profound impact on the rights of people in Bangladesh for years to come,” the letter said, adding that the groups look forward to close partnership with the government to support these efforts.
Responding to another question, the State Minister said the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which was formed to maintain law and order and protect citizens, had been used against people during the tenure of the Awami League government, resulting in human rights violations.
Bangladesh’s recently elected Prime Minister and his government face many urgent challenges but can use this opportunity to bring lasting protections of human rights, nine rights groups wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Tarique published on Monday.
While the widespread rights violations including enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings under Hasina’s rule ended, the interim government "continued to arbitrarily detain political opponents, and was unable to end mob violence" against journalists, religious minorities, and cultural centers, they said.
“Tarique Rahman has been given a wide mandate to bring change, including by many Bangladeshis who risked their lives to overthrow an autocratic government,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“Success will require meaningful reform to ensure that independent institutions are capable of delivering accountability and upholding the rule of law, and real commitment to upholding rights such as freedom of religion and expression.”
Among the priorities highlighted in the letter are ending arbitrary detention, holding those responsible for past violations accountable, abolishing the abusive Rapid Action Battalion, and protecting ethnic and religious minorities.
The groups also said that the government should protect the rights of over a million Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh and establish a strong and independent National Human Rights Commission.
The groups made specific recommendations in their letter for policy measures and legislative steps.
During the election campaign, the BNP made numerous commitments to safeguard rights, including economic rights, by increasing the resources available for health, education, environmental protections, and social security.