More than 450 people killed in unrest in Bangladesh (File)
The United Nations said Friday there are strong indications that Bangladeshi security forces used unnecessary force in tackling the student-led uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina, 76, fled by helicopter to neighboring India last week as protesters flooded the streets of Dhaka, marking a dramatic end to her 15-year iron rule.
More than 450 people died in the weeks of protests that led to her ouster on August 5.
“There are strong indications, which warrant further independent investigation, that security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation,” the UN human rights office said in a preliminary report.
“Alleged violations include extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and severe restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
The report emphasized the need for a rapid restoration of law and order, and the need to prevent further loss of life, violence and reprisals.
The interim government to replace Sheikh Hasina, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has invited UN investigators to investigate the violent “atrocities” that accompanied her ouster.
Yunus, 84, returned from Europe last week to lead an interim government that faces the enormous challenge of steering democratic reforms.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the transition in Bangladesh was an opportunity to ensure governance is anchored in rights and the rule of law.
“The coming transition offers a historic opportunity to reform and revitalize the country’s institutions, restore fundamental freedoms and civil space, and give everyone in Bangladesh a role in building the future,” he said.
“Accountability for violations and justice for victims are critical to the way forward and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process,” he said.
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