AL men, security, intelligence members committed organised, systematic human rights violations: Turk

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has blamed the Awami League men government officials, including security and intelligence agencies members for committing an organised and systemic human rights violation during the July-August mass uprising.

“We believe that former government officials, members of the security and intelligence and associates of the ruling party committed organised and systematic human rights violations,” he said while presenting the United Nations human rights fact-finding report in Geneva on Wednesday.

He laid emphasis on future stability and protection of human rights and said it is a huge chance for the country at this pivotal time to deal with its past and overcome its past to reach a moment of healing and truth-telling and that includes each and everyone within the society of Bangladesh.

Whatever differences are there, Turk stressed that it is “one country and one citizenship,” and it is a unique opportunity for each and every citizen of Bangladesh.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights engaged in dialogue with member states and civil society on the findings and recommendations, with a view to promoting accountability, justice, and human rights reforms in Bangladesh.

The interim government of Bangladesh and civil society representatives from Bangladesh also participated in the event.

Referring to his first telephone conversation with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Turk said Yunus told him human rights are at the centre of the reforms and transition. “Of course, this is hard work, no doubt about that. This is not easy.”

The UN human rights chief said that is the right spirit and they all need to grasp the opportunity and support the opportunity towards transition.

Responding to a question, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul who was present at the event, said there have been some incidents of political violence against the “torturers, hooligans of the Awami League regime” who oppressed and tortured people for many years.

He said there were some incidents where people who were deeply involved with the AL regime were attacked. “We strongly condemned that.”

The Law Adviser, however, said most of them belong to the Muslim community and very few people belong to the minority groups.

In his concluding remarks, Turk said it is the fact that the interim government fully cooperated with them when they deployed their team very quickly at the request of the government. “We will continue to find ways to keep the Human Rights Council informed,” he added.

“It will be crucial to ensure due process in criminal cases and investigate revenge violence, including against minorities,” Turk said while sharing a global update at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva recently.

Turk said Bangladesh last year experienced a paroxysm of violence as the government of the time “brutally suppressed” a student movement that carried human rights as its torch.

“The country is now charting a new future,” he said, adding that their recent independent fact-finding report on the grave human rights violations that took place is an “important contribution” to this journey.