United News of Bangladesh

The interim government on Saturday said the UN Human Rights Office’s mission in Bangladesh will focus on addressing and preventing serious human rights abuses, such as those perpetrated by the previous government, and ensuring accountability for violations. “It will not serve to promote any social agenda that falls outside the country’s established legal, social and cultural framework,” the government said in a statement, acknowledging that some groups in Bangladesh have expressed ’concerns’ about the perceived ideological orientation of UN human rights bodies. The statement issued by the Chief Adviser’ press wing said Bangladesh is a society grounded in strong cultural and religious traditions. “We have received feedback from citizens who have said that any international partnership should be respectful of these values.” The government of Bangladesh signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to field a mission in the country aimed at supporting the promotion and protection of human rights. The purpose of the mission is to provide training and technical assistance to government institutions and civil society organisations. Its objective is to help Bangladesh fulfill its national and international human rights obligations through capacity-building, legal support and institutional strengthening, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. “This initiative reflects our continuing commitment to reform and accountability, particularly in response to serious human rights violations that occurred during July–August 2024,” said a media release issued by the press wing. The government expects that the mission will always demonstrate transparency and maintain close cooperation with local stakeholders. The UN has committed to operating in full respect of Bangladesh’s cultural and religious reality, the media release said.  The government retains the sovereign right to withdraw from the agreement if it determines that the partnership no longer serves the national interest. UN rights office to open mission in Bangladesh; MoU signed  “It is worth noting that if such an office had existed during the previous administration when extrajudicial killings and public massacres occurred with impunity, many of those crimes might have been properly investigated, documented and prosecuted,” the statement said. “Our commitment to human rights today must be rooted in justice, not ideology. The government considers this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen our institutions and enhance protections for our citizens, guided by our values, shaped by our laws and accountable to our people,” it added. The memorandum was signed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Asad Alam Siam, Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, said the UN rights office on Friday in a press statement issued from Geneva. “The signing of this memorandum sends an important message of the country’s commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of the transition,” said Türk. He said it will enable his office to better support implementation of the recommendations made in their fact-finding report, as well as to engage directly on the ground with the government, civil society and others with their expertise and assistance on the fundamental reforms Bangladesh is undertaking going forward. Since last August, the UN Human Rights Office’s engagement with Bangladesh has significantly increased. The office has been working with various stakeholders in advancing human rights reforms and conducting a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry into deadly repression of mass protests.

The UN human rights body has called on the government of Bangladesh to foster an enabling environment for civil society to undertake their work without fear of reprisals, particularly in the lead up to the next elections.  "Civil society actors must not be deterred from cooperating with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms," said spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani on Friday in Geneva, noting that Bangladesh has the tradition of a strong and diverse civil society. Also read:UN elects new council members including Japan, Switzerland Restrictions to the right of freedom of association which do not respect the principles of necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination contravene international law, she said.  Shamdasani said they are "concerned" by the government of Bangladesh’s decision not to approve the renewal of registration for Odhikar. Bangladesh authorities, however, see Odhikar as a "controversial" human rights organisation in the country which was criticized for spreading misinformation.  There are allegations against Odhikar for “spreading propaganda” and “publishing misleading information” on rights issues, they say. Also read:Rabab Fatima appointed UN under-secretary general Shamdasani said, "We urge the government to immediately reconsider this decision, and to ensure that Odhikar has the ability to seek full judicial review of any such determination." She said they are further concerned that this decision will have a "chilling effect" on the ability of civil society organisations to report serious human rights violations to UN human rights mechanisms. Odhikar’s application for renewal of its registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau has been pending since 2014.  In 2014, Odhikar’s bank account was also frozen.  Civil society organizations strengthen democracy, the US Embassy in Dhaka tweeted.  OHCHR states everyone has the right to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, said the US Embassy.  "People should be free to promote human rights freely and without fear of retaliation."

Five decades after the world’s first conference to make the environment a major issue, UN human rights experts have called on States to redouble efforts to protect the imperilled planet for current and future generations amid unprecedented challenges. “Some communities suffer from environmental injustices where the exposure to pollution and toxic substances is so extreme that they are described as ‘sacrifice zones’,” they said. “Given humanity’s trajectory on toxics, climate change, and biodiversity loss, the planet is at risk of becoming a human sacrifice zone.” Also read: Climate change threatens access to water, sanitation David Boyd, the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, urged States to put the right to a healthy environment at the centre of all discussions and outcomes at the Stockholm+50 conference on 2 and 3 June, and to implement constitutional changes and stronger environmental laws, stemming from the recognition of the right to a healthy environment. Marcos Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, urged Stockholm+50 not to forget how human rights inspired key elements of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration. “This is a key moment for international environmental law to change direction and embrace a human rights-based approach to environmental protection,” he said. The concept of the right to a healthy environment is rooted in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, according to a message received from Geneva. “Today, 50 years later, the Stockholm+50 conference represents the ideal forum to enthusiastically welcome the recent UN recognition of this right whilst also identifying urgent actions necessary for its implementation,” the experts said. “Putting human rights at the centre of environmental action will have positive implications for air quality, clean water, healthy soil, sustainably produced food, green energy, climate change, biodiversity and the elimination of toxic substances and protection of indigenous people’s rights. Doing so has the potential to spark transformative changes and save millions of lives every year. “We live in a time of unprecedented environmental challenges. The multiple crises relating to climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pervasive pollution are impacting the enjoyment of human rights and jeopardizing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.” In October 2021, in a landmark resolution, the Human Rights Council recognised for the first time the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The resolution marked the culmination of decades of efforts by a diverse array of civil society organisations, including youth groups, national human rights institutions and indigenous peoples. Also read: Climate change costs poor women in Bangladesh up to 30pc of their outgoings The Special Rapporteurs encouraged States to act upon Council’s invitation that ‘the General Assembly [...] consider the matter’ of the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment at its earliest convenience. A General Assembly resolution on the right to a healthy environment would reinforce the urgency of actions to implement the right. “We are all extraordinarily fortunate to live on this miraculous planet, and we must use the right to a healthy environment to ensure governments, businesses and people do a better job of taking care of the home that we all share.”

The UN human rights experts on Thursday deplored allegations of forced evictions, arbitrary detention and killings of pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar.

Security forces in Myanmar on Saturday again met protests against last month’s military takeover with lethal force, killing at least four people by shooting live ammunition at demonstrators.

Footage of a brutal crackdown on protests against a coup in Myanmar unleashed outrage and calls for a stronger international response Thursday, a day after 38 people were killed. Videos showed security forces shooting a person at point-blank range and chasing down and savagely beating demonstrators.

Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights official said it had “credible information” that 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded.

 

The UN human rights body has expressed serious concerns over the human right situation and called on the government of Myanmar to take measures to ensure that the right to political participation can be exercised by all, without discrimination of any kind.   "We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Myanmar ahead of its general elections on 8 November," said Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani in a statement issued from Geneva on Tuesday.

Michelle Bachelet, the chief of UN human rights, urged countries to address today’s systemic racism and “centuries of violence and discrimination” through reparations and other processes.