Amnesty International urges Bangladesh govt to 'respect right to protest, lift communication restrictions'

The Amnesty International today (25 July) once again called upon the government and its agencies to respect the right to protest, end the crackdown and immediately lift all communications restrictions.

Highlighting the internet disruptions currently plaguing the country, the human rights body in a statement said, "The limited information coming out of the country has been an impediment to human rights monitoring. Amnesty International has responded to the evolving situation through verification and analysis of available video and photographic evidence."

In the statement, it also said, "Amnesty International and its Crisis Evidence Lab has verified videos of three incidents of unlawful use of lethal and less lethal weapons by law enforcement agencies while policing the protests."

Analysis of photos, videos, testimonies confirm police used 'unlawful' force against protesters: Amnesty

Deprose Muchena, senior director at Amnesty International, said, "The egregious human rights records of the Bangladeshi government and the Rapid Action Battalion [RAB], which has been deployed to police the protests, provides little reassurance that the protesters' rights will be protected in the absence of active international monitoring with internet and communication restrictions still partially in place.

"An independent and impartial investigation into all human rights violations committed by security forces, including the high death toll of protesters, must urgently be conducted and all those found responsible must be held fully accountable. 

"Victims of unlawful police use of force, including those who have been injured and family members of those who have been killed, must also receive full reparations from the state," he further added.

The full statement has been published here: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/07/bangladesh-further-video-...