Daily Manabzamin Bangladesh Newspaper
Daily Manabzamin (দৈনিক মানবজমিন) is a tabloid Bangla Newspaper of Bangladesh. Read all the latest entertainment, sports and politics news 24/7 live online.
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Human land desk
(2 hours ago) Tuesday, August 30, 2022, 2:48 pm
Last update: 4:43 pm
Bangladesh authorities should respond to international calls for a transparent and independent investigation into allegations of enforced disappearances. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch made this call in a report published on its website on the occasion of the World Day for the Prevention of Disappearances on August 30.
It is said that UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet recently went on a three-day visit to Bangladesh. He called on the government to establish a special mechanism or procedure involving victims of disappearances, their families and civil society, through which allegations of disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the country can be investigated.
He also offered the cooperation of the United Nations to implement the mechanism according to international standards. Bangladesh's strategic and trade allies have already called on the government to convict senior security officials and stop such abuses in the future.
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said that the evidence of Bangladeshi authorities' involvement in numerous disappearances is very strong. The Bangladesh government should stop feigning ignorance and work with the United Nations to ensure accountability and responsibility for the accused. In 2021, Human Rights Watch published a report on disappearances in Bangladesh. It highlights 86 such incidents.
The Bangladesh government did not respond to the report other than denying it. Besides, Bangladesh government has not given any kind of updated information to Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch said in their report that on December 10, 2021, the United States government imposed sanctions against Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion RAB and its senior officers.
But then the Bangladesh government started threatening and intimidating the families of the victims. Officials, however, said they were actually verifying the claims there. Authorities have threatened at least 10 families, according to an organization called Mother's Call. In some cases, they were forced to sign false statements. They claimed that none of their relatives were missing and that they had deliberately given wrong information to the police.
According to Human Rights Watch, UN experts are concerned about the fate or current situation of the missing persons. But instead, the authorities are trying to shield RAB officers and other security forces from deeper investigations and criminal liability. Michelle Bachelet called on the Bangladesh government to invite the United Nations agency dealing with disappearances to visit Bangladesh. By identifying this issue, the implementation of the Bangladesh government's promises will be seen. He also talked about recognizing Bangladesh in the International Convention for the Prevention of Disappearances.
Meenakshi Ganguly said family members of missing persons have been tortured by the authorities for years, not being informed about the whereabouts of their loved ones. The Government of Bangladesh should observe the International Day for the Prevention of Missing Persons by taking the first steps to ensure the accountability of the perpetrators.
