HRW slams govt over 'oppression' of opponents
The Bangladesh government clamped down on the media and civil society, and state authorities detained, maimed, killed, and made to disappear members of the political opposition, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“The Bangladesh authorities have failed to protect bloggers, secularists, academics, gay rights activists, and religious minorities from violent -- often fatal -- attacks by militant groups,” it said in its World Report 2017, titled “Bangladesh: Disappearances, Clampdown on Critics. Action on Extremist Violence Needs to Respect Rights.”
Initially asking bloggers and others to refrain from “hurting religious sentiments,” the government finally launched a drive in May last year to find the perpetrators of the killings of bloggers, secularists, academics, and LGBT activists. However, instead of identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators of the killings, the authorities rounded up nearly 15,000 people over eight days in June, it said.
Shortly after the July 1 Gulshan café attack, dozens of members or supporters of alleged extremist groups were killed by state forces in so-called armed encounters, it added.
“Bangladeshi security forces have a long history of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Justice for these abusive practices is non-existent,” Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW, was quoted as saying in the report.
“It is important that the Bangladeshi government act to protect its citizens from what has obviously been a growing security problem in the country, but it needs to do so in a rights-respecting manner,” he added.
The government's crackdown on civil society, the media, and political opposition intensified in 2016, the report said.
The editors of two leading newspapers were charged with multiple crimes, including sedition and criminal defamation. In October, the government passed the draconian Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Act, gaining comprehensive and arbitrary control over all activities of nongovernmental organisations.
“The government's campaign to shut down dissent, whether through protests, the media, or nongovernmental organisations, has had a devastating impact across civil society and the political opposition,” said Adams.
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