Bangladesh’s response to UN rights chief: Letter to PM written ‘hastily, without full info’
According to Bangladesh’s response to Türk on 10 November a press note was “hurriedly released” from Türk’s office on the same issue without consulting Bangladesh, and without taking into consideration the facts and figures the country provided along with “horrific images and video footage taken from neutral sources.”
Bangladesh has expressed its displeasure to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk over a recent letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a press note on the country "without waiting for fuller information and facts".
"We expect that human rights mechanisms would give themselves adequate time before jumping to conclusions without the benefit of full facts to avoid the risks of being influenced by rumours and unverified information," according to Bangladesh's response to Türk on 10 November.
The letter seen by UNB notes that the UN rights chief's letter, dated 1 November, addressed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has been written "hastily without waiting for fuller information and facts" to emerge and without allowing sufficient time for reflection.
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On 1 November, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged the prime minister to release ailing BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for urgent medical treatment abroad.
In response to the letter, Bangladesh wrote to Türk mentioning the government has been allowing and extending necessary cooperation to all political parties including the BNP to arrange assemblies, protests, processions etc following the constitution.
During its rally and strike on 28-29 October, the unruly activists of BNP – "misguided" by the propaganda of its leaders – took recourse to indiscriminate street violence, arson, other forms of violent activities on the apolitical law enforcement agency members, police stations, CCTV cameras, the judiciary, media personnel, innocent civilians, state institutions, hospitals, ambulances, fire service vehicles and public properties, according to Bangladesh's reply to Türk.
A policeman was beaten to death while more than 100 police officers were injured, a bus worker was burnt alive, residences of the chief justice of Bangladesh and other judges of the Supreme Court were attacked, it said.
In the letter, Bangladesh said Türk's office should conduct an unbiased assessment of BNP's targeted attacks on the press impeding freedom of expression.
Bangladesh also mentioned that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was convicted on corruption charges in two cases while a few other cases are ongoing – all of which were filed during the 2007-08 caretaker administration.
Considering her health condition, based on the application of her family members, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suspended her sentence under legal provision.
"Begum Khaleda Zia was offered a release for a period of six months on conditions of (a) taking treatment in Bangladesh and (b) not leaving the country. She accepted the conditions under which she was released on 25 March 2020 and her release tenure was extended several times," said the government of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh in its reply mentioned that she has been receiving treatment of the highest standard at the Evercare Hospital, one of the best hospitals in Bangladesh, as per her choice.
