Rights body urges UN to allow country office in Bangladesh
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is in the neighbouring country
New Delhi, Oct 29: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) in its submission urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to ask the Bangladesh interim government to allow the establishment of a country mission of the UN human rights office in the country with full and unrestricted access to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs).
Türk is visiting Bangladesh from Tuesday.
RRAG highlighted the failure of the interim government to make the report of the inquiry commission headed by Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Mr Mohammad Nurullah Noori into the acts of violence upon indigenous peoples in Dighinala, Khagrachari and Rangamati from September 19 to October 1 public and the announcement of Chief Advisor Dr Mohammad Yunus that the problems of the indigenous people in CHTs would be addressed by the next elected government.
In these attacks by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal settlers, at least four indigenous persons were killed, 75 indigenous Jumma people were seriously injured and at least 142 houses, shops and other business establishments and Buddhist temples were looted, destroyed or set ablaze.
The Hindu minorities too have been facing unprecedented acts of violence without accountability. While the daily Prothom Alo reported damage to 1,068 houses and business establishments and 22 places of worship from 5 to 20 August 2024, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad reported 2,010 incidents of communal violence during the same period.
Despite being provided unprecedented security during the Durga Puja celebrations from 1 to 11 October 2024, Bangladesh Police reported that at least 35 incidents centering the Durga Puja celebrations had taken place.
RRAG also expressed concerns about the absolute lack of independence of the judiciary in Bangladesh. While five Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice, were removed, 12 High Court judges have been denied allocation of judicial work.
“This absence of independence of the judiciary is affecting those accused in various cases… Unless the proceedings of the FIRs filed are stayed and a Committee of the Public Prosecutors to assess each of the FIR registered is established, thousands of unnamed persons will suffer because of false prosecution,” said Suhas Chakma, RRAG director.
