TIB holds human chain across country, calls for int'l probe of recent violence 

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) held human chain programmes in Dhaka and across 45 locations across the country today (4 August).

"Ensure proper accountability for human rights violations of all types and levels on the basis of  a nationally and internationally acceptable investigation to be conducted by an entirely independent commission established and implemented at  the initiative of the United Nations," the TIB said in a statement.

"The entirely peaceful, non-violent and apolitical anti-discrimination student movement has been subjected to imposed violence, leading to unprecedentedly tragic loss of hundreds of lives and a  reign of terror over the past two weeks. This has been characterised by a series of cruel killings by unlawful use of lethal weapons and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement agencies, arbitrary filing of cases, indiscriminate attacks, mass arrests through block raids, illegal remand, detainment, and torture in detention by the Detective Branch (DB)  under the pretense of providing security, unjust warrants, online and offline threats, and systematic violation of  constitutionally guaranteed human rights including freedom of speech, right to protest and freedom of association," reads the statement.

According to independent assessments, at least 200 students and ordinary individuals, including children, teenagers, journalists, and other professionals, have been killed  by law enforcement agencies, the statement reads.

At least 213,000 individuals have been implicated in more than 200 cases in the police stations of the capital alone. The government repeatedly committed to refrain from any form of harassment of students, movement coordinators or the general public, the TIB further said,

"The indiscriminate misuse of power by law enforcement agencies and relevant state institutions, the overall lack of good governance, and a governance system that is blinded by the arrogance of power, detached from  public interest, devoid of transparency and accountability, and plagued by endless corruption are the primary factors behind this mayhem," it added.