State structures must be overhauled to ensure human rights, justice and good governance in Bangladesh, said Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
"The peaceful, non-violent anti-discrimination student movement has been subjected to severe and imposed violence, resulting in an unprecedentedly tragic loss of hundreds of lives and a reign of terror over the past two weeks. This period has been marked by a series of brutal killings through unlawful use of lethal weapons and excessive force by law enforcement agencies," TIB said in a statement on Sunday (4 August).
"There have been arbitrary cases filed, indiscriminate attacks, mass arrests through block raids, illegal remand, detention, and torture by the Detective Branch (DB) under the guise of providing security," it added.
Additional measures include unjust warrants, online and offline threats, and systematic violations of constitutionally guaranteed human rights such as freedom of speech, the right to protest, and freedom of association, TIB further said.
"False narratives and fabrications have been employed to legitimise these illegal activities, protect the actual perpetrators, and victimise innocent individuals, thereby preventing any resolution of the crisis and escalating public insecurity and mistrust," it added.
TIB said independent assessments report that at least 200 students and ordinary citizens, including children, teenagers, journalists, and professionals, have been killed by law enforcement agencies.
These fatalities are attributed to the unlawful, random, and indiscriminate abuse of power and excessive use of lethal weapons, according to credible evidence.
Over 213,000 individuals have been implicated in more than 200 cases in the capital's police stations alone, TIB said.
"The government had pledged to refrain from any form of harassment of students, movement coordinators, or the general public. However, students and individuals from various professions and social classes have been apprehended, abducted, falsely accused, and detained even in the middle of the night, unleashing terror despite clear evidence of their non-involvement in any violence or illegal activities. During remand, many individuals reportedly face physical and mental torture," it added.
