Bangladesh Rights Crisis: How Yunus-Led Government Threatens Democracy

In a statement, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) said that as countries across the world observe International Human Rights Day on Wednesday -- upholding the universal values of human rights including equality, dignity and freedom -- the current situation in Bangladesh is not only worrying but also poses a "direct threat to democratic values and the rule of law".

Citing media reports and findings from human rights observers, the JMBF mentioned that although the Yunus-led interim government came to power with commitments to establishing human rights, the rule of law and democracy, the misuse of authority and force by state-backed actors against political, social and religious dissidents has reached a disturbing level.

"Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, political activity, assembly and democratic participation are being severely obstructed unless they favour the current government. In many cases, people are being detained unlawfully, implicated in fabricated cases and subjected to severe levels of repression," it said.

"Custodial torture, inhuman treatment, abuse of power by law enforcement agencies and deliberate medical negligence or denial of treatment in prisons leading to deaths have reached a deeply concerning stage," the rights body stated.

According to the JMBF, intimidation, harassment, and targeted pressure against political activists, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders signal a deeply troubling decline in the protection of human rights.

"When media freedom is shrinking and freedom of expression is being hindered by state and state-backed mob control, it effectively amounts to the deprivation of citizens' fundamental freedoms. Such conditions signal the moral decline of the state and also weaken the foundation of civil rights and democracy," it stated.

The JMBF called on the international community to take the current situation in Bangladesh seriously and not remain silent in the face of "well-crafted false narratives" by the interim government while grave human rights violations continue.

Asserting that diplomatic and legal interventions are essential, the rights body said, "International involvement in the protection of human rights has now become indispensable".

It further said that the global community must step forward to apply pressure on the Yunus-led interim government to ensure the rights, freedoms and safety of the people and to hold perpetrators accountable for every human rights violation.

- IANS