The UN Human Rights Office has found that the top leadership of the ousted AL government was “involved” in committing serious human rights violations during the student-led mass uprising in July-August last year in the country.

“The top echelons of the previous government were aware and, in fact, were involved in the commission of very serious human rights violations, such as enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, suppression of protests, and violence,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated at a press conference following the release of a fact-finding report in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) compiled the report on human rights violations and abuses related to the protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh.

Based on deaths reported by various credible sources, the report estimates that as many as 1,400 people may were killed between 1 July and 15 August, with thousands injured, the vast majority of whom were shot by law enforcers.

Of these, 78% of the murders were carried out using military rifles and shotguns with pellets, and as many as 12%-13% of those killed were children. Bangladesh Police reported that 44 of its officers were killed.

“The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition,” the UN Human Rights Chief said, adding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hundreds of extrajudicial killings, extensive arbitrary arrests and detentions, and acts of torture were carried out with the knowledge, coordination, and direction of the political leadership and senior security officials as part of a strategy to suppress the protests.

The report found patterns of security forces deliberately and impermissibly killing or maiming protesters, including incidents where individuals were shot at point-blank range.

Women, including protest leaders at the forefront of the early demonstrations, were also subjected to arbitrary arrests, torture, ill-treatment, and attacks by security forces and Awami League supporters. 

The report documents gender-based violence, including physical assaults and threats of rape, aimed at deterring women from participating in protests.

It also found that police and other security forces killed and maimed children and subjected them to arbitrary arrest, detention in inhumane conditions, and torture.

The report highlights cases where security forces denied or obstructed critical medical care for injured protesters, interrogated patients and collected their fingerprints in hospitals, intimidated medical personnel, and seized hospital CCTV footage without due process in an apparent effort to identify protesters and conceal evidence of state-perpetrated violence.

The UN report details numerous incidents of serious human rights violations, including detailed images and analysis of the background and strategies behind the atrocities.

“The testimonies and evidence we gathered paint a disturbing picture of rampant state violence and targeted killings, which are among the most serious violations of human rights and may also constitute international crimes. Accountability and justice are essential for national healing and for the future of Bangladesh,” Volker Türk added.

When asked about the legal proceedings against Sheikh Hasina, the prime accused who fled to India, he said, “If a perpetrator is outside the country, universal jurisdiction can be applied. However, the country where the perpetrator resides must be willing to prosecute serious human rights crimes. Additionally, Bangladesh can request the International Criminal Court to investigate the matter.”

The UN report states that intelligence services – including NSI, NTMC, and the Armed Forces’ DGFI – and specialised branches of the police, such as the Detective Branch, Special Branch, and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, engaged in widespread human rights violations to support the violent suppression of the protest movement.

It also documents troubling instances of retaliatory killings and other serious acts of revenge violence targeting Awami League officials and supporters, police, and media personnel.

Hindus, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts were also subjected to human rights abuses.

While approximately 100 arrests have reportedly been made in relation to attacks on religious and indigenous groups, the perpetrators of many other acts of revenge violence remain at large, enjoying impunity, the report states.

The report provides a detailed set of recommendations, including reforms to the security and justice sectors, the abolition of repressive laws and institutions designed to stifle civic and political dissent, and broader changes to the political system and economic governance.

The OHCHR observed that politicisation and political control over law enforcement agencies often compelled security personnel to act as mere instruments of the Prime Minister’s Office and Home Ministry.

The report recommends disbanding the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), as well as restricting the functions of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).

It also calls for the demilitarisation of paramilitary forces such as Ansar and the Village Defence Party (VDP).

The 114-page UN report urges the government to avoid banning any political party, arguing that such actions undermine democracy and disenfranchise segments of the electorate.

“The best way forward for Bangladesh is to confront the horrific wrongs committed during this period through a comprehensive process of truth-telling, healing, and accountability, to redress the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure they never happen again,” the High Commissioner stated.

“My Office stands ready to assist in this vital national accountability and reform process.”

Volker Türk was accompanied by Rory Mungoven, head of the UN Human Rights Office’s Asia-Pacific Region, and Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the High Commissioner’s office.

At the request of the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, the UN Human Rights Office sent a team to Bangladesh in September, led by Rory Mungoven and including human rights investigators, a forensic physician, and a weapons expert, to conduct an independent and impartial fact-finding mission into the deadly events.

The investigation team interviewed 230 individuals, including injured protesters, medical professionals, security personnel, and politicians.

The interim government extended significant cooperation to the inquiry, granted the requested access, and provided substantial documentation.