Guwahati: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has urged UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to press Bangladesh’s Interim Government for the establishment of a UN human rights mission in Bangladesh.
As Türk’s visit begins today, the RRAG emphasized the need for full, unrestricted access to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) to address pressing human rights issues.
RRAG highlighted the Interim Government’s lack of transparency, particularly its failure to release the findings of an inquiry commission led by Additional Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Nurullah Noori.
The commission investigated recent violence from September 19 to October 1, 2024, which saw at least four indigenous individuals killed, 75 injured, and over 140 homes, businesses, and Buddhist temples destroyed in CHTs regions including Dighinala, Khagrachari, and Rangamati.
While interim Chief Advisor Dr. Mohammad Yunus has indicated that the next government will address indigenous peoples’ issues in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, RRAG contends this delay further jeopardizes the vulnerable communities in the region.
In addition to indigenous issues, the RRAG’s submission underscored escalating violence against Hindu minorities. According to Prothom Alo, 1,068 homes, businesses, and 22 religious sites were targeted from August 5 to 20, while the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad recorded over 2,000 incidents of communal violence during the same period.
Despite heightened security during Durga Puja (October 1-11), Bangladesh Police documented at least 35 instances of violence centered on the celebration.
“On one hand, Nobel Laureate Dr. Yunus has deferred action on indigenous rights in CHTs to the next government; on the other, he attributed recent violence against religious minorities to their perceived allegiance with the Awami League. This exclusionary stance is evident in the newly formed Constitutional Reforms Commission, which notably lacks any indigenous or religious minority representatives. These issues must be urgently addressed,” stated RRAG Director Suhas Chakma.
RRAG also expressed grave concerns over judicial independence in Bangladesh. With five Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice, dismissed and 12 High Court judges sidelined allegedly due to student protests, the judiciary faces a precarious environment. Judges who release individuals connected to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government or the Awami League reportedly risk public backlash.
“This lack of judicial independence impacts those facing charges, with nearly 1,94,000 people implicated in 268 FIRs as of August 31, 2024. Among them, 54 journalists accused of crimes like genocide face charges related to their reporting. Without immediate intervention—such as pausing FIR proceedings and establishing a Public Prosecutors Committee for FIR review—thousands risk prosecution on unfounded grounds,” Chakma warned.
The RRAG concluded its appeal with a call for comprehensive action from the UN, pressing the Bangladeshi Interim Government for institutional reforms to ensure the protection and rights of all vulnerable communities in the country.
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