Staff Reporter :
Twelve human rights groups on Friday alleged that the security forces and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh continued to remain engaged in enforced disappearances, targeting journalists, activists, and government critics.
The organisations made the allegation in a joint statement on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, and also alleged that
enforced disappearances continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least four people faced enforced disappearance during the period, according to a report of Odhikar, one of the 12 organisations that issued the statement.
The economic hardship caused by the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the mental, social, and physical well-being of the families of the disappeared, and on their ability to search for their loved ones,’ the release said.
‘From January 1, 2009 to July 31, 2020, at least 572 people have been reported forcibly disappeared by security forces and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh. While some were eventually released, shown arrested, or discovered killed by security forces and law enforcement agencies in so-called ‘crossfire’ encounters, the whereabouts of many of them remain unknown,’ the statement said.
‘Enforced disappearance is part of the ruling party’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of speech. Disappearance, or threats of disappearance, is used to silence critics and repress the opposition,’ it alleged.
‘Bangladesh government authorities have failed to respond to the repeated calls from families of the disappeared for investigations into the enforced disappearance of their loved ones. Victims and their families are met with repeated obstacles to legal redress, including police refusal to file cases and threats to drop cases,’ it said.
It alleged that law enforcers enjoy culture of impunity, perpetuated by the ruling party’s refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of enforced disappearances or hold security forces accountable.
This joint statement was endorsed by Advocates for Human Rights, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Asian Human Rights Commission, Asian Network for Free Elections, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Federation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Mayer Daak, Odhikar, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights and World Organisation Against Torture.
Twelve human rights groups on Friday alleged that the security forces and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh continued to remain engaged in enforced disappearances, targeting journalists, activists, and government critics.
The organisations made the allegation in a joint statement on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, and also alleged that
enforced disappearances continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least four people faced enforced disappearance during the period, according to a report of Odhikar, one of the 12 organisations that issued the statement.
The economic hardship caused by the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the mental, social, and physical well-being of the families of the disappeared, and on their ability to search for their loved ones,’ the release said.
‘From January 1, 2009 to July 31, 2020, at least 572 people have been reported forcibly disappeared by security forces and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh. While some were eventually released, shown arrested, or discovered killed by security forces and law enforcement agencies in so-called ‘crossfire’ encounters, the whereabouts of many of them remain unknown,’ the statement said.
‘Enforced disappearance is part of the ruling party’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of speech. Disappearance, or threats of disappearance, is used to silence critics and repress the opposition,’ it alleged.
‘Bangladesh government authorities have failed to respond to the repeated calls from families of the disappeared for investigations into the enforced disappearance of their loved ones. Victims and their families are met with repeated obstacles to legal redress, including police refusal to file cases and threats to drop cases,’ it said.
It alleged that law enforcers enjoy culture of impunity, perpetuated by the ruling party’s refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of enforced disappearances or hold security forces accountable.
This joint statement was endorsed by Advocates for Human Rights, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Asian Human Rights Commission, Asian Network for Free Elections, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Federation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Mayer Daak, Odhikar, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights and World Organisation Against Torture.
