Euro MPs ask Bangladesh to end RAB’s impunity for rights breach

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution asking the Bangladesh government to stop providing ‘impunity’ to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for its alleged human rights violation.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 18 Sept 2014, 04:59 PM
Updated : 19 Sept 2014, 11:16 AM

It voted the resolution in Brussels on Thursday, according to a statement published on its website.

The European Parliament claimed that members of the elite force, comprising both military and police officers, were violating human rights exploiting the impunity given to them.

It said the human rights violation should stop.

“They (members of the parliament) call on the Bangladeshi authorities to put an end to RAB's impunity,” the statement read.

The MEPs also asked the government to bring to book erring RAB personnel after conducting probe into the allegations of extrajudicial killings, it said.

On the other hand, MEPs commended the progress made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which has resulted in “significant real-life improvements for millions of citizens”.

They acknowledged that these improvements were made under difficult domestic circumstances, including the constant threat of violent attacks by “radical groups such as the BNP-affiliated Jamaat-e-Islami”.

RAB has been facing allegations of extrajudicial killings since its formation a decade back.

International human-rights organisations demanded dissolution of the force following allegations of involvement of its members in Narayanganj seven murders.

The European Parliament expressed concern over the alleged involvement of law-enforcing agencies in enforced disappearance of people and urged the government to immediately free the persons against whom there was no specific charge.

Its members urged the government to stop oppression of opposition political parties and to control use of firearms.

Referring to the recently formulated National Broadcast Policy, they also urged the government not to suppress opinions of others.

The parliament requested Bangladesh to ensure the enforcement of labour laws and urged further reform to bring them into line with ILO standards, in particular the possibility for workers to freely form and join labour unions.