Editorial Desk :
The government of the United Kingdom in its annual report on human rights and democracy has said that there was no overall improvement in the human rights situation in Bangladesh in 2020, expressing concerns over the freedom of expression, including the use of the Digital Security Act, to suppress criticism of the government’s Covid-19 response, and continued violence against women and girls. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Report 2020 on Human Rights and Democracy, which was presented to the UK Parliament and published on Thursday also spoke of the restrictions on political freedom, extrajudicial killings, death penalty, enforced disappearances and Rohingya crisis. It said the UK would continue to address governance and human rights concerns through diplomatic engagement and development programming in 2021. Various other rights groups also claimed that there is no improvement on the human rights front in the country.
Referring to local human rights groups, the UK report said, law enforcement agencies were responsible for 225 extrajudicial killings, including “crossfires” and incidents of torture. In August, following the killing of a retired army officer by police, extrajudicial killings received unprecedented public attention and the number of killings reportedly dropped. During the last few years’ human rights violations by the forces have increased alarmingly. As if the protectors become perpetrators. We want plugging in of the loopholes haunting our security forces to make them function by the law, under the law and for the law.
And, media freedom has remained under pressure as it dropped to 151 out of 180 in the Freedom Index of Reporters Without Border, country’s lowest-ever position. According to Article 19, a total of 198 cases were brought under the DSA against 451 individuals, while 75 journalists were charged in 41 cases, and at least 32 journalists were arrested. Over 400 other people, including health professionals and people critical of the government’s handling of COVID-19, were charged under the DSA.
Bangladesh still retains the Police Act of 1861, which is tainted with colonial policing policies. Besides, political and bureaucratic interference, government’s control of promotion and transfer remain as the major drawbacks to our security forces.
Our police cannot behave like the people’s police, although they are not fully unconscious of their responsibility. But greed must be satisfied and protected. The security forces are used for the security of the government. The government is in fact for the well-being of the few.
Our main crisis is we do not have political leaders to know the politics government. The power hungry bureaucracy destroyed the democratic structure of the government facilitating the plunderers to plunder the country. The people are dying in hundreds but vaccines were not bought in time and then there is acute poverty and joblessness. The situation is frustrating and dangerous.
