2018 national election ‘improbably lopsided’
Terming the last parliamentary election in Bangladesh "an improbably lopsided" election, the United States on Thursday said it was not considered free and fair and was marred by reported irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and intimidation of opposition polling agents and voters.
The US Department of State in its report styled "2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" said political affiliation often appeared to be a factor in claims of arrest and prosecution of members of opposition parties, including through spurious charges under the pretext of responding to national security threats.
"During the campaign, there were credible reports of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and violence that made it difficult for many opposition candidates and their supporters to meet, hold rallies, and campaign freely," said the report.
According to the report, significant human rights issues in 2019 included unlawful or arbitrary killings, forced disappearance, torture, arbitrary or unlawful detentions by the government or on its behalf, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, arbitrary arrests of journalists and human rights activists, censorship, site blocking and criminal libel.
Citing a report of Amnesty International, the US state department said 466 incidents of alleged extrajudicial executions occurred in 2018, a three-fold increase from the previous year, and the highest number of incidents reported in any single year by local human rights organisations.
"A domestic human rights organisation, Odhikar, reported security forces killed 315 individuals in crossfire incidents from January through September."
The report said the government made limited efforts to prevent or investigate kidnappings allegedly committed by security services.
The government did not respond to a request from the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances to visit the country, it added.
According to the report, Bangladesh's security forces reportedly enjoyed widespread impunity last year for their abuses against people, including unlawful killings, forced disappearance, torture, and unlawful detention.
It also accused the government of taking few measures to bring the abusers to justice. "There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses. The government took few measures to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse and killing by security forces."
The US state department said the Special Powers Act of 1974 was widely cited by law enforcement agencies in justifying their arrests.
The judiciary did not always protect the right to a fair and public trial due to corruption, partisanship, and weak human resources, the report said.
It also mentioned that the government sometimes failed to respect the rights to freedom of speech, including of the press.
There were significant limitations on freedom of speech. Some journalists self-censored their criticisms of the government due to harassment and fear of reprisal, the report said.
"Civil society organisations said political interference influenced the licensing process, since all television channel licenses granted by the government were for stations supporting the ruling party."
According to the report, independent journalists and media outlets alleged that there were instances of influencing media outlets in part by withholding financially important government advertising and pressing private companies to withhold their advertising as well. The government penalised media that criticised it or carried messages of the political opposition's activities and statements.
Media outlets deemed critical of the government and the Awami League were subjected to government intimidation and cuts in advertising revenue, and they practiced some self-censorship to avoid adverse responses from the government, it added.
The report stated that some senior civil society representatives reported harassment and delays at the airport when departing the country.
The ruling Awami League-affiliated organisations, such as their student wing Chhatra League, reportedly carried out violence and intimidation around the country with impunity, including against individuals affiliated with opposition groups, read the report.
It said credible human rights organisations agreed that the first half of the year saw an alarming increase in rape cases, with ASK, the Human Rights Support Society, and the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) estimating 630-738 women raped between January and June, figures higher than in the same period of the previous year.
In comparison, the BMP reported a total of 942 women were raped in all of 2018. There were reports of sexual violence with impunity.
Incidents of vigilantism against women occurred, sometimes led by religious leaders enforcing fatwas. The incidents included whipping, beating, and other forms of physical violence, the report mentioned.
GOVT REJECTS REPORT
Meanwhile, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday termed the US state department's report "one-sided and unacceptable".
"The report [on human rights] is one-sided and unacceptable. In fact, people across the globe have rights to know about the prevailing human rights situation in the United States," he said.
The minister was speaking at an extended meeting of Rangunia upazila Awami League in Chattogram, reports BSS.
Hasan, also the joint general secretary of AL, said the organisations that provided information and data to prepare the report have lost their credibility among the people.
"They [the organisations concerned] also submitted this kind of one-sided reports on the situation of Bangladesh in the past," he said.
The minister said more than 100 people died in different incidents in the USA on January 1 this year.
Many people were being shot dead by law enforcers in the USA every year, he added.
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