The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has issued a damning report on Bangladesh, detailing widespread human rights violations by security forces, intelligence agencies, and state authorities.
The report, released on Wednesday, calls for major institutional reforms, including the abolition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and restrictions on the roles of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
Among its key recommendations, the report advises disbanding RAB and reintegrating personnel not implicated in serious violations into their respective units.
It also urges that BGB be confined strictly to border security duties and that DGFI be limited to military intelligence, with their legal authorities clearly delineated.
The UN also calls for preventing military control over Ansar-VDP and limiting its role to auxiliary law enforcement support.
The OHCHR has recommended restricting the use of armed forces in internal security operations, stating that military deployment should occur only under exceptional circumstances and for limited durations.
It has urged the swift passage of an ordinance to formalise these restrictions.
The UN has also expressed its willingness to provide technical assistance to Bangladesh in implementing the proposed reforms.
The report, which documents human rights violations from 1 July to 15 August 2024, was presented in Geneva by UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
It is based on an independent inquiry led by Rory Mungoven, head of the UN Human Rights Office’s Asia-Pacific Region, supported by a team of investigators, a forensic doctor, and a weapons expert.
The report provides a chronological account of escalating state violence during the anti-quota movement, noting that some protesters resorted to attacks on government buildings, transport infrastructure, and police forces.
On 18 July, the government reportedly ordered security forces to escalate the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
From 19 July onwards, BGB, RAB, and police engaged in indiscriminate violence, resulting in numerous extrajudicial killings and injuries, including those of journalists.
“In some instances, security forces deliberately opened fire on unarmed protesters at close range,” the report states, adding that the crackdown only fuelled further unrest.
The report cites the imposition of a curfew on 20 July and the army’s deployment, during which soldiers fired blank rounds but largely refrained from lethal action.
Notably, it references witness accounts from 3 August, which indicate that junior army officers defied orders to fire on civilian protesters during a high-level meeting attended by the army chief.
Further, the UN highlights the full authorisation given to RAB and police to open fire during the blockade of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on 20-21 July, resulting in casualties.
Testimonies from former officials suggest that the army, BGB, and police coordinated a plan to prevent the 5 August Dhaka March, with police allegedly resorting to lethal force while military units remained largely passive.
The OHCHR report also implicates intelligence agencies, stating that the DGFI, National Security Intelligence (NSI), and National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) played a direct role in suppressing protests.
It accuses these agencies of widespread surveillance, unlawful detentions, and coordinated intimidation tactics against activists, journalists, and opposition figures.
The report details the arbitrary detention and torture of student leaders, activists, and minors, with the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit’s headquarters allegedly used as a secret detention facility.
Furthermore, security forces obstructed medical treatment for injured protesters, interrogated patients in hospitals, and intimidated healthcare workers.
The UN also alleges that the intelligence agencies systematically restricted digital communication, working with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to enforce internet blackouts and suppress online dissent.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for police reform, stating that Bangladesh’s policing framework does not align with international human rights standards.
It calls for immediate amendments to police regulations, including clear restrictions on the use of lethal ammunition such as metal shot to disperse crowds.
It also demands an end to the routine arming of police with shotguns and armour-piercing rounds for crowd control.
The OHCHR urges the replacement of outdated police laws, including the Metropolitan Police Ordinances and the Police Act of 1861, with new legislation modelled on the 2007 draft Police Ordinance.
It also advocates for the establishment of a National Police Commission, composed of government, opposition, and independent representatives, to ensure transparent and merit-based recruitment, promotions, and dismissals.
Additionally, the UN recommends creating an independent police oversight body, separate from the existing Police Oversight Unit, to ensure impartiality in investigating misconduct.
The report asserts that human rights violations were systematically coordinated by security, paramilitary, and intelligence forces under the directives of the political leadership. It states that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were directly briefed on the unfolding situation and personally approved the security crackdown.
According to testimonies from senior government officials, in late July and early August, high-ranking officers warned the political leadership about excessive force being used.
However, rather than de-escalating the situation, the government allegedly intensified its suppression tactics.
“These forces engaged in serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of free speech,” the report states.
As the international community digests the OHCHR’s revelations, the UN’s call for urgent reforms places mounting pressure on Bangladesh to address systemic rights abuses, ensure accountability, and realign its security framework with international standards.
