International observers considered the 2018 parliamentary elections neither free nor fair, the report says
Published : 23 Apr 2024, 02:14 PM
There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Bangladesh in 2023, according to an annual report by the United States.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken published the country-based reports on human rights practices in 2023 on Monday local time.
In the section on Bangladesh, the report stated there were no significant changes in the human rights situation during the year.
Significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; enforced disappearance; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners or detainees; transnational repression against individuals in another country, the report said.
The report also cited arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; punishment of family members for alleged offences of a relative; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and enforcement of or threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression; restrictions on internet freedom.
Stating substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including overly restrictive laws on the organisation, funding, or operation of nongovernmental and civil society organisations, the report also revealed the inability of Bangladeshis to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections.
International observers considered the 2018 parliamentary elections neither free nor fair and marred by irregularities including ballot box stuffing and intimidation of opposition polling agents and voters, the report said in its section titled ‘Freedom to Participate in the Political Process’.
Campaigning for a Jul 17 parliamentary by-election last year, independent candidate and social media star Ashraful Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom, was attacked, reportedly by Awami League-aligned activists, the report added.
“Local police officials refused to accept his filing of a case against his attackers. On election day he was attacked again and hospitalised after police ejected him from a polling station and, according to reporters present, refused to protect him from a mob of governing party supporters.”
The government mobilised law enforcement resources to level civil and criminal charges against opposition party leaders and activists. Press reporting supported claims by the BNP and other parties that police criminally charged thousands of BNP members related to political demonstrations during the year and detained many of the accused, the report said.
The ‘Corruption in Government’ of the report said, “The law provided criminal penalties for conviction of corruption by officials, but the government did not implement the law effectively. There were numerous reports of government corruption in 2023, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.”