1,400 killed during July Uprising: UN 

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) published the fact-finding report on the human rights violations and abuses during the student-led July-August mass uprising on Wednesday. 

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk launched the report in Geneva at 9:30 am local time (2:30pm Bangladesh time). 

As many as 1,400 people could have been killed during the protests, the vast majority of whom were killed by military rifles and shotguns loaded with lethal metal pellets commonly used by Bangladesh’s security forces.

The OHCHR report highlights ‘extensive and grave human rights violations’ under the Hasina-led government, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and excessive use of force by security agencies and Awami League-linked elements.

 “OHCHR finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the former government and its security and intelligence apparatus, together with violent elements associated with the Awami League, systematically engaged in serious human rights violations, including hundreds of extrajudicial killings, other use of force violations involving serious injuries to thousands of protesters, extensive arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture and other forms of ill-treatment,” according to the report.

 “Thousands more suffered severe, often life-altering injuries. More than 11,700 people were arrested and detained according to Police and RAB. Reported fatality figures indicate that around 12-13 percent of those killed were children. Police and other security forces also subjected children to targeted killings, deliberate maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention in inhumane conditions, torture and other forms of ill-treatment,” the report added.

Having been at the forefront of the early protests in particular, women and girls were also attacked by security forces and Awami League supporters, it said.

“They were specifically subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, including gender-based physical violence, threats of rape and, in some documented cases, sexual assault perpetrated by Awami League supporters.”

The report further said, “Based on first-hand testimonies from victims and witnesses and image and videos analysis, OHCHR could ascertain that, as protests expanded, a broad array of armed Awami League supporters acted jointly, or in close coordination, with the Police against protesters, using extensive, unlawful violence supporting the Government’s efforts to suppress the protests.”

The report, which acknowledged the cooperation of Bangladesh authorities with its investigators, notes: “Following the fall of the previous government, the current interim government has commenced efforts to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses.

Among its steps, it has brought cases against senior officials before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), as well as in the regular courts.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk delivered an inaugural speech at the press conference. 

Rory Mungoven, chief of the Asia-Pacific Section, Jyotsna Poudyal, human rights officer, and Ravina Shamdasani, chief spokesperson of OHCHR, were also be present there. 

The UN fact-finding mission began investigating into human rights violations between July 1 and August 15. 

The five-member delegation deployed by the UN Human Rights Office at the invitation of the interim government began conducting an independent and impartial investigation on September 16. 

The mission visited various parts of the country and spoke to the individuals, groups and organisations to gather first-hand information concerning the period of July 1 to August 15, 2024 and human rights violations and abuses during that time. 

Source: Agencies