Political killings define Bangladesh democracy: US report
Staff Correspondent | Update: 22:07, Mar 04, 2017
The US State Department has reported "deprivation of life" and "politically motivated killings" in Bangladesh, saying the government and its agents committed numerous arbitrary or unlawful killings.
Characterising the 2014 elections that brought premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League back to power as "controversial and falling short of international standard", it has elucidated that government restriction on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly limited the ability of opposition party members to participate effectively in the democratic process.
"The constitution provides citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage, but recent elections were marred by government tampering and violence," the department observed in the Bangladesh chapter of its "Country reports on human rights practices for 2016".
"The government further used counterterrorism efforts to justify restrictions of civil and political rights," said the US report transmitted by its new secretary of state Rex Tillerson.
The report mentioned that 150 individuals were killed in “crossfire” incidents in the first nine months of the year, including 34 by RAB, and 61 by other police forces. "There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses."
It listed the most significant human rights problems in the country as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary or unlawful detentions and forced disappearances; the killing of members of marginalised groups and others by groups espousing extremist views; violence against women and children; and poor working conditions and labour rights abuses.
The report pointed out that a “culture of fear” had diminished the strength of the civil society, exacerbated by threats from extremists and an increasingly entrenched leading political party.
"Even civil society members affiliated with the ruling party reported receiving threats of arrest from the security forces for their public criticism of government policies," it said.
Referring to reports by rights groups and corruption watchdogs, the state department further drew attention to "continued public dissatisfaction with the perceived politicisation of the judiciary".
"The government subjected the judiciary to political pressure, and cases involving opposition leaders often proceeded in an irregular fashion," said the US report.
It attributed the violent attacks against religious minority communities to transnational violent extremism as well as to economic and political reasons.
Dwelling on the militancy, the state department said the AL government responded with a strong anti-militancy drive, which has "resulted in increased extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions for the purpose of extortion, enforced disappearances, torture, and other abuses of human rights."
Other human rights problems, according to the report, included torture and abuse by security forces; arbitrary arrests; weak judicial capacity and independence; lengthy pre-trial detentions; politically motivated violence; official corruption; and restrictions on online speech and the press.
The report also pointed to continuous "multiple disappearances and kidnappings", some committed by security services and said the government made limited efforts to prevent or investigate such acts.
"Authorities sometimes held detainees without a charge sheet, without divulging their whereabouts or circumstances to family or legal counsel, or without acknowledging having arrested them in the first place," it said.
The report mentioned the matter of sedition charge framed against former prime minister and chairperson of the largest opposition political party - BNP -Khaleda Zia for her public comment on the number of individuals killed during the 1971 war of independence.
"The government mobilised law enforcement resources to level civil and criminal charges against opposition party leaders, including BNP leader Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman," it said.
The report observed that the government did not respect the constitutional rights of freedoms of assembly and association for opposition political parties for political reasons. It cited example that the police prevented members of the opposition party, BNP, from holding events in several cases.
On arbitrary interference with private correspondence, the report said the police rarely obtained warrants from the courts to monitor private correspondence, and authorities did not punish officers who violated these procedures. It referred to reports that informers are employed to conduct surveillance and report on citizens perceived to be critical of the government.
The US report regretted that the government sometimes failed to respect the constitutional rights that provide for freedom of speech and 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," it said adding that the well regarded newspapers Prothom Alo and Daily Star were denied access to the prime ministerial events because, as it said, "they published reports critical of the government and the prime minister."
The state department prepared the report using information from US embassies and consulates abroad, foreign government officials, nongovernmental and international organisations, jurists and legal experts, journalists, academics, labour activists and published reports.
http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/141185/Political-killings-define-Bangladesh-democracy-US
Staff Correspondent | Update: 22:07, Mar 04, 2017
The US State Department has reported "deprivation of life" and "politically motivated killings" in Bangladesh, saying the government and its agents committed numerous arbitrary or unlawful killings.
Characterising the 2014 elections that brought premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League back to power as "controversial and falling short of international standard", it has elucidated that government restriction on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly limited the ability of opposition party members to participate effectively in the democratic process.
"The constitution provides citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage, but recent elections were marred by government tampering and violence," the department observed in the Bangladesh chapter of its "Country reports on human rights practices for 2016".
"The government further used counterterrorism efforts to justify restrictions of civil and political rights," said the US report transmitted by its new secretary of state Rex Tillerson.
The report mentioned that 150 individuals were killed in “crossfire” incidents in the first nine months of the year, including 34 by RAB, and 61 by other police forces. "There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses."
It listed the most significant human rights problems in the country as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary or unlawful detentions and forced disappearances; the killing of members of marginalised groups and others by groups espousing extremist views; violence against women and children; and poor working conditions and labour rights abuses.
The report pointed out that a “culture of fear” had diminished the strength of the civil society, exacerbated by threats from extremists and an increasingly entrenched leading political party.
"Even civil society members affiliated with the ruling party reported receiving threats of arrest from the security forces for their public criticism of government policies," it said.
Referring to reports by rights groups and corruption watchdogs, the state department further drew attention to "continued public dissatisfaction with the perceived politicisation of the judiciary".
"The government subjected the judiciary to political pressure, and cases involving opposition leaders often proceeded in an irregular fashion," said the US report.
It attributed the violent attacks against religious minority communities to transnational violent extremism as well as to economic and political reasons.
Dwelling on the militancy, the state department said the AL government responded with a strong anti-militancy drive, which has "resulted in increased extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions for the purpose of extortion, enforced disappearances, torture, and other abuses of human rights."
Other human rights problems, according to the report, included torture and abuse by security forces; arbitrary arrests; weak judicial capacity and independence; lengthy pre-trial detentions; politically motivated violence; official corruption; and restrictions on online speech and the press.
The report also pointed to continuous "multiple disappearances and kidnappings", some committed by security services and said the government made limited efforts to prevent or investigate such acts.
"Authorities sometimes held detainees without a charge sheet, without divulging their whereabouts or circumstances to family or legal counsel, or without acknowledging having arrested them in the first place," it said.
The report mentioned the matter of sedition charge framed against former prime minister and chairperson of the largest opposition political party - BNP -Khaleda Zia for her public comment on the number of individuals killed during the 1971 war of independence.
"The government mobilised law enforcement resources to level civil and criminal charges against opposition party leaders, including BNP leader Khaleda Zia and senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman," it said.
The report observed that the government did not respect the constitutional rights of freedoms of assembly and association for opposition political parties for political reasons. It cited example that the police prevented members of the opposition party, BNP, from holding events in several cases.
On arbitrary interference with private correspondence, the report said the police rarely obtained warrants from the courts to monitor private correspondence, and authorities did not punish officers who violated these procedures. It referred to reports that informers are employed to conduct surveillance and report on citizens perceived to be critical of the government.
The US report regretted that the government sometimes failed to respect the constitutional rights that provide for freedom of speech and 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," it said adding that the well regarded newspapers Prothom Alo and Daily Star were denied access to the prime ministerial events because, as it said, "they published reports critical of the government and the prime minister."
The state department prepared the report using information from US embassies and consulates abroad, foreign government officials, nongovernmental and international organisations, jurists and legal experts, journalists, academics, labour activists and published reports.
http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/141185/Political-killings-define-Bangladesh-democracy-US
