UN rights body expresses concern at excessive use of force by the state

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed serious concern at the numerous, consistent reports that officials of Bangladesh had pursued excessive use of force, extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance.

The OHCHR expressed this concern in its Universal Periodic Review published on 13 November.

Following this statement the Committee against Torture and the Human Rights Committee recommended that Bangladesh revise its legislation to limit the use of force by State actors, incorporating international standards, ensure that all allegations of use of force, unacknowledged detention, disappearance and death in custody were promptly and thoroughly investigated by an independent body, and that perpetrators were punished provide all reparations and an effective complaint mechanism for victims and prohibit enforced disappearance as a distinct crime in the legislation.

The UN human rights body also recommended that Bangladesh publish a list of all recognised places of detention and ensure that no one was held in secret or incommunicado detention.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee against Torture also suggested ratifying the International Convention for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance.

The United Nations country team recommended that Bangladesh facilitate the work of United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations through open and transparent systems that allowed for the implementation of humanitarian, development and rights programmes.

The Committee against Torture also suggested that Bangladesh carefully review the application of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other relevant laws that might entail the imposition of the death penalty, in the light of its international obligations.