To: His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General of the United Nations
1st Avenue and 46th Street
New York, NY 10017 U S A

Re: AFAD Appeals to take Measure on Bangladesh over Gravely Alarming Human Rights Situation

Your Excellency Ban Ki-Moon,

The worsening political crisis in Bangladesh has led to the gravely alarming human rights situation in the country.

The Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) is deeply concerned with the rising and unabated of human rights violations occurring in Bangladesh. It has become an almost daily phenomenon for law enforcement agencies to arrest people, resulting in human rights violations such as torture, ill treatment, extrajudicial deaths and enforced disappearance.

Enforced disappearances allegedly perpetrated by the security forces of Bangladesh has become an almost daily occurrence, mostly centering on the current political confrontations between the ruling Awami League and the BNP led 20-Party Alliance over free, fair, credible and participatory national elections under a neutral interim government. The administration’s refusal to the holding of such an election has resulted in widespread violence and human rights violations in Bangladesh.

The phenomenon on enforced disappearances has risen dramatically since 2010. Based on the information gathered by AFAD, there were a total of 195 cases of enforced disappearance from 23 March 2010 to 31 March 2015, which is very high, and most of these were allegedly perpetrated by the Rapid Action Battalion and the Detective Branch (DB) of the police.

Even in broad day light in full view of many, people are abducted from various places in Bangladesh by plainclothes men claiming to be members of law enforcement agencies. Some are recovered dead days after their abduction. In many cases, families and friends of the disappeared, claim that members of law enforcement agencies picked up the victims. However, the alleged perpetrators wash their hands of the crime by denying any knowledge about the abduction and disappearance.

On 23 March 2010 Bangladesh has ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which recognises enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity because of its extreme cruelty and gravity and, therefore, an international crime. The disappeared person is removed from the protection of law, a fundamental right, which the state ought to protect. It affects victims in many different ways, including constant fear of their lives. The victims’ families, most especially the wives and mothers, go through an emotional roller-coaster of hope and despair, waiting for news on their spouses and sons that might never come.

AFAD, along with other human rights organisations and civil society the world over, humbly requests the United Nations to apply its legitimate mandate so that the Government of Bangladesh respects the civil and political rights of its citizens in the face of increased restrictions on political opposition groups, civil society, and human rights defenders. Unfortunately, the Government continues to shield abusive security forces from accountability and despite calls by the international community, refuses to reform flawed laws and trial procedures.

Human rights organisations and civil society have been feeling increased government pressure and surveillance on their legitimate human rights promotion and protection advocacy work. Rule of law and democratic principles must be respected to enable human rights defenders to work without fear of retaliation or reprisal from the state and its agents.

AFAD urges your office, the United Nations, to call the Government of Bangladesh to provide the necessary space for peaceful political exercise and refrain from using excessive force to stop protests and persecutions of political opponents and citizens.

AFAD strongly condemns the unceasing incidents of enforced disappearances and all forms of human rights violations (arbitrary arrests and detention, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, etc.) in Bangladesh perpetrated by law enforcement agencies and state agents. AFAD also condemns the worsening ongoing political violence in Bangladesh and urges the UN to provide all means necessary for the protection of citizens to exercise their right to peaceful political activity, including free and fair elections free from fraud and intimidation, the cessation of enforced disappearances and all forms of human rights violations and justice to all victims of human rights violations.

As human rights defenders, we fervently  pray that your office and the United Nations, considers and promptly heeds AFAD’s appeal to prevent further unnecessary loss of lives, enforced disappearances and other forms of human rights violations in Bangladesh and restore peace and order in the country.

Very respectfully and sincerely yours,

KHURRAM PARVEZ

Chairperson

MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO

Secretary-General