Statement at the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
General Debate item 2
Delivered by Sigrid Lipott, CIVICUS
Thank you Mr President.
We would like to draw attention to the civic space situation in Bangladesh, which culminated in a brutal crackdown on protests and the fall of the government. Under the previous regime, the authorities systematically targeted human rights defenders (HRDs), protesters, journalists and other critics using intimidation, violence, arrest and torture. Critical media outlets were also targeted and shut down. This led the country’s civic space rating being downgraded to ‘closed’.
During the mass protests that erupted in universities across Bangladesh in July, security forces used excessive and unlawful force and firearms to suppress protests, which resulted in the unlawful killings of at least 600 people, including students and young protesters and the arbitrary detention of thousands of protesters, amid reports of torture and ill-treatment in detention. Furthermore, the ability to access information and share reports of human rights abuses were hampered by a near-total internet shutdown.
We welcome recent steps taken by the interim government to address enforced disappearances. At the same time, all activists and protesters must be released and charges dropped, the political transition must be conducted in an inclusive, participatory, transparent and accountable way, and civic space reforms need to be undertaken in consultation with civil society.
We also call on this Council to adopt a substantive Resolution to establish an independent mechanism with a comprehensive mandate to investigate, collect and analyse evidence of serious human rights violations, and cooperate with credible and independent national and international bodies towards justice and accountability, and to mandate a comprehensive monitoring and reporting process on the situation in Bangladesh by the newly-established mechanism or the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, throughout the interim government’s transition period, with regular updates to the Council.
We thank you.
