We, the undersigned, urgently bring to your attention a disturbing development concerning the  Government of Bangladesh. An email dated 25 July 2024, sent by the Government to its overseas  embassies, instructs them to counter the current narrative regarding the situation in Bangladesh.  This communication seeks to manipulate host governments and media outlets, mitigate negative  portrayals, and exploit favourable diaspora to distort public perception. 

We vehemently condemn the Bangladesh Government’s brazen attempts to spread misinformation  and fabricate narratives about the situation in the country. These actions are a deliberate effort to  obscure the truth and prevent the real picture from being exposed. This communication from the  Bangladesh Government is nothing short of foreign interference and transnational repression. Such  actions are intolerable and violate the core principles of free speech and democratic engagement. 

The protests broke out on 1 July 2024, quickly spreading across universities in Bangladesh.  Students were demanding the repeal of the quota system reinstated by the High Court on June 5,  2024, which reserved 30% of first and second-class government jobs for descendants of 1971  freedom fighters. Although the system was abolished in 2018 after widespread protests, its  reinstatement prompted a new wave of demonstrations, with students calling it discriminatory and  demanding its cancellation. 

The protesting students were met with a brutal crackdown and unprecedented violence,  highlighting the Awami League government’s continued pattern of violent repression against  peaceful assembly and dissent. Over 200 protestors have been killed, 9000 arrested, and countless  others severely injured. Security forces, including police and military, have resorted to extreme  measures and a shoot-to-kill approach, as evidenced by firing bird shots and pellets at close range,  using tear gas in enclosed spaces, and conducting overnight abductions. Videos verified by  Amnesty International show officers dragging injured protesters and failing to provide medical aid. 

These actions have caused severe injuries and permanent disabilities. The use of armed forces  against unarmed civilians is a gross abuse of power and a violation of international norms. 

On July 21, 2024, the Supreme Court scrapped most quotas, but students in Bangladesh have  expanded their protests. They now demand a public apology and acceptance of responsibility from  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the resignation of key ministers and university officials, and a ban  on the Bangladesh Chhatra League from student politics, among other demands. They vow to  continue protesting until these demands are met. 

The witch hunt against protest leaders and participants has intensified, with overnight abductions  and arbitrary arrests of student human rights defenders. The government is relentless in silencing  and punishing those demanding justice and reform, with alarming reports of torture and ill treatment of detainees. 

The situation has been further exacerbated by the government-imposed Internet shutdown, which  lasted for 11 days. Not only the Internet and mobile services are cut off, online media are  inaccessible. The Internet is still slowed while restrictions persist on social media platforms and  two online media that were based outside Bangladesh: Netra News and Bangla Outlook could not  be accessed from inside Bangladesh. This deliberate action has severely limited communication  and access to information. Such measures are clear attempts to limit freedom of expression,  freedom of press, and digital rights, and control the narrative by cutting off the population from  the outside world. This is an egregious assault on freedom of information and a desperate bid to  hide the government’s crimes. 

Journalists have been targeted in this violent crackdown. At least 30 reporters have been attacked,  and at least three journalists have been killed while covering the protests. This assault on press  freedom is a direct attack on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms. 

The role of the military and police along with vigilante groups such as the Bangladesh Chhatra  League, in perpetuating this violence is undeniable and reprehensible. Soldiers have been  deployed on the streets, tanks stationed across Dhaka, and curfews imposed to crush the protests.  The government’s response, marked by abductions, severe beatings, and impunity for state-aligned  vigilantes, showcases a regime willing to go to any lengths to desperately cling to power. The use of armed forces against unarmed civilians is a gross abuse of power and a violation of international  norms. 

We echo the urgent calls from United Nations experts, including Human Rights Chief Volker Turk  and Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, for an impartial, independent, and transparent investigation  into the alleged human rights violations during the crackdown on protesters. The government’s  handling of the mass protests, marked by significant casualties and widespread arrests, must be  scrutinized without delay. 

We demand that embassies and international bodies take immediate action as outlined below: 

1. Call on the Bangladesh Government to immediately halt all killings and other forms of  violence against protesters. 
2. Immediately advocate for and support an international commission of inquiry, established  by the UN Human Rights Council, for an impartial, independent, and transparent  investigation into the human rights violations. 
3. Resist any and all pressures from the Bangladesh Government to alter the narrative and  ensure that accurate and truthful information is disseminated. 
4. Urgently support secure platforms for documenting and submitting evidence of human  rights abuses. 
5. Work tirelessly to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable through  appropriate legal and diplomatic channels. 
6. Demand the immediate restoration of full internet access and the lifting of all restrictions  on social media platforms and online news outlets to ensure the free flow of information. 7. Strongly condemn the use of military and police forces against unarmed civilians and  demand the immediate demilitarization of the response to peaceful protests. 8. Stand in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh who are courageously fighting for justice  and democratic reform. 

The international community must remain vigilant against the Bangladesh Government’s egregious  attempts to manipulate the narrative. We must collectively ensure that accurate information  prevails, and the voices of those fighting for justice and reform in Bangladesh are heard and supported. We urge all concerned parties to decisively reject misinformation and uphold the  principles of transparency, accountability, human rights and the rule of law. 

Sincerely, 

Signature Organizations (Alphabetical Order as of August 4, 2024) 

1. Advocacy Forum-Nepal 
2. Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia 
3. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) 
4. Asean Youth Forum (AYF) 
5. Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF) 
6. Asia Democracy Network 
7. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 
8. Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN Indonesia). 
9. Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) 
10. Asociación Pro Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos – El Salvador 
11. Association of Parents and Family Members of the Disappeared (AFMD)-Sri Lanka
12. Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) 
13. Balaod Mindanaw 
14. Bir Duino – Kyrgystan 
15. Bytes for All, Pakistan 
16. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC Cambodia) Capital Punishment Justice Project, Australia 
17. Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), South Korea 
18. Coalition for Equality – Kyrgyzstan 
19. Conflict Victims’ Society for Justice, Nepal 
20. Defence of Human Rights Pakistan (DHR) 
21. Desaparecidos, Philippines 
22. Families of the Disappeared (FOD) – Sri Lanka 
23. Free Jonas Burgos Movement, Philippines 
24. Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) / Initiative for  International Dialogue. (IID).
25. Human Rights Hub, Sri Lanka 
26. Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) 
27. Human Rights Now (Japan) 
28. Hustisya, Philippines 
29. Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI). 
30.  Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) 
31. Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) 33. 
32. Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) Indonesia 34. 
33. International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) 
34. International Legal Initiative Foundation, Kazakhstan 
35. Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN) 
36. Karapatan Alliance, Philippines 
37. Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre, Nepal 
38. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law 
39. Law and Society Trust (LST) Sri Lanka 
40. Legal Literacy-Nepal 
41. Liga Guatemalteca de Higiene Mental, Guatemala 
42. Madres de Plaza de Mayo – Linea Fundadora – Argentina.
43. Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) 
44. National Commission for Justice and Peace, NCJP 
45. Nonviolence International Canada 
46. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) 
47. PIKAT Demokrasi, Indonesia 
48. Public Association “Dignity”, Kazakhstan 
49. Pusat Komas 
50. South Asia Youth Network 
51. Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), Indonesia 
52. Sri Lanka Democracy Network. 
53. Sydney Policy and Analysis Center 
54. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFD-P) 
55. The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)
56. The Globe International Center 
57. Think Centre, Singapore 
58. Torture Coalition and Survivors Support Coalition, Washington DC
59. We Remember-Belarus 
60. Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), Nepal

The undersigned human rights organizations express our serious concerns over ongoing, brutal crackdowns on protesters in Bangladesh by law enforcement agencies, security forces, and members of the ruling party. Students across the country are protesting against a system of quotas in the recruitment of public servants. The government of Bangladesh has deployed Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guards-Bangladesh (BGB) to quell the protests in major cities around the country. We urge the Government to immediately cease these crackdowns on student protests.

Credible information analyzed by human rights groups and media reports confirms that at least 33 people have been killed, including a journalist, since the protests commenced on 15 July, while scores were seriously injured. Law enforcement agencies and security forces have been seen driving armored personnel carriers (APCs), and local and international media have reported on the use of teargas, sound grenades, rubber and pellet bullets, and water cannons against protesters. Media reports indicate that members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the ruling party’s student wing, were seen beating protesters, including women students, with both blunt and sharp weapons and guns. The government has shut down universities and other educational institutions, with students ordered to vacate the dormitories.

Human rights defenders and journalists, who have requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, report that, as of late night on 18 July, joint forces comprising the Police, RAB, and BGB were conducting massive crackdowns across Dhaka and other cities with public universities. The government has reportedly shut down electricity and blacked out communications, including mobile phone networks and the internet, during these operations. Journalists were allegedly prevented from covering the violent actions of the security forces and law enforcement agencies. Members of the BCL wearing helmets and carrying weapons are reported to have entered the emergency units of hospitals to further attack injured protesters. The police have been accused of preventing ambulances from helping wounded students at the Jahangirnagar University on the outskirts of Dhaka. Bangladesh-based journalists have been forced to censor their reports of the gross abuses being carried out by the security forces. The police have registered several cases against named and un-named protesters, and large-scale arbitrary arrests and detention are going on while torture in custody is a norm of the law enforcement agencies in the country.

Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies consistently disregard the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The government of Bangladesh, under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has established an ‘appalling and pervasive culture of impunity’ for gross human rights violations and a system of rewarding perpetrators. In the given context, victims of serious human rights violations are systematically deprived of access to justice. Bangladesh has consistently failed to hold perpetrators accountable for gross human rights violations over the past decade. 

This has created a de facto system of denial of justice in Bangladesh, which warrants the international community’s urgent attention to hold perpetrators accountable and demand that the Bangladeshi government comply with its international human rights obligations. There are growing concerns that members of the security forces and members of the Judiciary regularly enjoy the opportunity to join the UN Peacekeeping Operations. In light of such ongoing massive violations of human rights, personnel of security forces, law enforcement agencies, and the police should be banned from participating in the UN Peacekeeping Missions without a credible system of scrutiny.

We strongly call on the Bangladeshi government to immediately stop the crackdown on protests and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with the students and investigate the use of violence to stifle the demonstrations. Perpetrators should be held accountable through genuine and independent investigations. The international community, including the UN Department of Peace Operations, has a responsibility to ensure that the same forces that are committing crimes in Bangladesh do not join peacekeeping forces abroad.

Signed:

• Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
• Capital Punishment Justice Project
• Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances
• Eleos Justice, Monash University
• Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network

The undersigned organizations are alarmed by the recent publication by the Chinese authorities of new judicial guidelines  providing directives to prosecute and harshly punish, including by the death penalty, those advocating and acting for  Taiwan’s independence. The guidance effectively encourages China’s courts and law enforcement agencies to violate  several rights established under international human rights law and standards, including the rights to life, to the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and to a fair trial. We call on the Chinese authorities to immediately withdraw the guidelines and swiftly introduce legislative changes to repeal vague and overly broad national security-related offences and the death penalty, as critical first steps. 

On 21 June 2024, the Supreme People’s Court of China jointly issued with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the  Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security and Ministry of Justice the “Opinions on Punishing ‘Taiwan  Independence’ Diehards for Conducting or Inciting Separatism in Accordance with Law” (henceforth, guidelines).1 The  guidelines are based on existing provisions under China’s Anti-Secession Law, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law; and encourage lower courts and various government and law enforcement agencies to prosecute and punish as national  security offences various acts, including peaceful ones, aimed at the pursuit of the independence of Taiwan from China.  The guidelines came into effect upon publication.  

Our organizations are gravely concerned by the violations of human rights that are encouraged and would be carried out  through the implementation of these guidelines. By explicitly criminalizing and demanding harsh punishments for peaceful acts that aim at advocating for Taiwan’s independence, the Chinese authorities are cracking down under the  pretext of national security on the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and other human rights.  

According to internationally recognized human rights standards, “national security” cannot be invoked to justify  restrictions on rights and freedoms unless genuinely and demonstrably intended to protect a state’s existence or territorial  integrity against specific threats of the use of force;2 nor can this national security framework legitimately be applied by governments to entrench a particular ideology or deny people the right to express different political views and to exercise  their other human rights as protected by international legal standards.3 Expression can only be punished as a threat to  national security when the authorities can demonstrate that the speaker has the intent to incite violence, there is a  likelihood that the expression will incite such violence and a direct and immediate connection between the expression and  the likelihood or occurrence of such violence.4 Speech such as advocating for a change in government or government  policy, as well as criticism or even insult of a state’s institutions or its symbols, or exposure of human rights violations, is  protected under international human rights law and must not be restricted or penalized on national security grounds.5 Likewise, demanding territorial changes in the form of autonomy or even secession in speeches and demonstrations does  

not automatically amount to a threat to the country’s territorial integrity and national security.6 The UN Human Rights  Committee, the UN body tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political  Rights (ICCPR) – which China signed in 1998 – has frequently rejected attempts to justify far-reaching restrictions with  vague references to “national security”.7 

Of additional concern is the broad definition of aggravating circumstances that would warrant the harshest penalties,  including the death penalty, under sections 6 and 7 of the guidelines.8International human rights law and standards set  out that the imposition of the death penalty must not be based on “vaguely defined criminal provisions, whose application  to the convicted individual depend on subjective or discretionary considerations, the application of which is not  reasonably foreseeable.”9 These are necessary requirements prescribed by the principle of legality, a core general  principle of law, enshrined, among other places, in Article 15 of the ICCPR and Article 11 of the Universal Declaration of  Human Rights. Without an explicit and effective requirement to comply with international human rights law, vague terms  leave the law open to abuse by authorities who use it to crack down on a wide range of human rights.10 Vaguely drafted  laws can lead to a chilling effect and ultimately self-censorship in public debate, including online. 

We oppose the death penalty absolutely and are already greatly concerned at the overall lack of transparency that  surrounds the use of the death penalty in China. We are further alarmed that the guidelines recommend the imposition of  this cruel punishment in violation of the principle of legality; and as a result of trials where the defendant is not present (in  absentia), including on people in other countries. Death sentences imposed in unfair proceedings are arbitrary in nature  and amount to a violation of the right to life.11 Furthermore, pending full abolition of the death penalty, international law  and standards restrict its use to the “most serious crimes”, most recently interpreted as referring to “crimes of extreme  gravity involving intentional killing”.12 The majority of acts criminalized in the guidelines do not meet this minimum  threshold.13 

We call on the Chinese government and all authorities to review and amend all laws and regulations, and end all related  policies and measures, that violate human rights, in particular the rights to life, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly  and association, and ensure that any legal provisions aimed at protecting national security are clearly and narrowly  defined and conform to international human rights law and standards. We urge the authorities to establish an immediate  moratorium on all executions, as well as initiate legislative amendments to fully abolish the death penalty and commute all  death sentences.  

This statement is co-signed by:  

1. Amnesty International 
2. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network 
3. Capital Punishment Justice Project 
4. The Rights Practice 
5. World Coalition Against the Death Penalty 

***

1. English translation available at https://en.spp.gov.cn/2024-06/21/c_998795.htm 
2. Siracusa Principles on the Limitation and Derogation of Provisions in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN Doc. E/CN.4/1985/4,  paras. 29-30. 
3. Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, adopted on 1 October 1995 by a group of experts in  international law, national security, and human rights convened by Article 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, in collaboration with the  Centre for Applied Legal Studies of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, http://www.article19.org/data/files/pdfs/standards/joburgprinciples.pdf 4 Johannesburg Principle 6. 
4. Johannesburg Principle 7.
5. European Court of Human Rights, Stankov and the United Macedonian Organisation Ilinden v. Bulgaria, application numbers (29225/95 and  29221/95), 2001, para. 97. 
6. UN Human Rights Committee, “General Comment 34: Freedom of opinion and expression (Art. 19)”, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/34, 12 September 2011,  paras. 21-26. 
7. For example, the death penalty may be imposed for those “who cause particularly serious harm to the state and the people” and when the  circumstances of the crime are “particularly heinous”. 
8. Human Rights Committee, General comment No. 36 (2018) on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right to life,  UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/36, para.38. 
9. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Report, 15 December 2003, UN Doc. E/CN.4/2004/3, paras 64-65. 
10. UN Human Rights Committee, General comment No. 36 (2018) on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right to  life, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/36, para.41. 
11. UN Human Rights Committee, General comment No. 36 (2018) on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right to  life, UN Doc. CCPR/C/GC/36, para.35. 
12. Conduct considered as “serious crime” include directly participating in the implementation of major separatist activities of an organization advocating  for Taiwan’s independence; or carrying out activities advocating for Taiwan’s independence with serious consequences and adverse impacts; and  playing a significant role in separatist activities.

The undersigned organizations express our deep concern about Bangladesh’s current human rights situation and closure of civic space as the country heads toward national elections on  7 January 2024.  

Since late October 2023, following the rallies and demonstrations co-organized by the political opposition,  the ruling party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League, has resorted to violence to suppress  protests and political dissent. The crackdown has resulted in 17 people being killed, including a journalist,  and 8,249 opposition leaders injured. Moreover, at least 50 people were injured as a result of a clash  between police, ruling party and opposition party activists during a human chain organized on the  commemoration of the International Human Rights Day in the Sayestanagar area of Habiganj. These cases  further emphasize the urgent need for accountability and a thorough and independent investigation into the  circumstances leading to the violence and the killings. 

The indiscriminate and excessive use of tear gas, sticks, batons, rubber bullets, and similar instruments by  law enforcement authorities raises serious concerns about the escalation of violence. Immediate action is  needed to address the abuse of police equipment. The disproportionate use of such tools not only violates  the fundamental rights of citizens but also exacerbates tensions, creating an environment that undermines  dissent, peaceful assembly and democratic dialogue. Security forces must urgently follow the international  human rights standards, including the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms  by Law Enforcement Officials and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in  Law Enforcement.  

In addition, since the end of October, the Bangladeshi government has massively and arbitrarily detained  more than 20,000 individuals identified or perceived as the opposition. The arrests are related to 837  fabricated charges cases, where bail is consistently denied despite valid grounds and due process  guarantees are undermined. There have also been consistent and credible reports of torture and illegal  isolation of detainees in custody. The alleged torture inflicted on persons in custody is not limited to the  detentions that occurred over the past month but rather has been reported in the past and includes  “beatings; electric shocks; waterboarding; deliberately shooting to maim, including knee-capping; mock  executions; and forced nudity.”  

The government is systematically using the judiciary to convict the key opposition leaders en masse,  through prosecuting in the extended hours in the evenings to disqualify the potential opposition candidates  ahead of the January 7, 2024, elections, as pre-planned months ago. The large-scale detentions and  convictions not only erode the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, freedom, personal  integrity, and the right to a fair trial but also leave countless families in distress, as the detained individuals  are often the sole income earners of their households. 

The extensive use of violence and arbitrary detentions in Bangladesh paints a grim picture of the state of  democracy and human rights in the country. These abuses are committed in the context of a social  movement in which the people are demanding free and fair elections next January. Instead of upholding  the fundamental principles of democracy, the Bangladeshi government’s violent and repressive response  “has created an environment of fear, anxiety and extreme insecurity for citizens”.  

United Nations experts shared their concern about this violent crackdown: “As Bangladesh heads towards  national elections in early 2024, we are deeply disturbed by the sharp rise in political violence, arrests of  senior opposition leaders, mass arbitrary detention of thousands of political activists, use of excessive force  by the authorities and internet shutdowns to disrupt protests, and allegations of harassment, intimidation  and unlawful detention of family members as a retaliatory measure”. 

Another concern is the draft Data Protection Act, which allows law enforcement unrestricted authority to  access citizens’ data “if it is deemed necessary for national security or prevention or detection of an  offence”. Misuse of such power could lead to widespread surveillance, particularly of political dissenters,  and poses a threat to human rights, particularly the right to privacy. The cases in which the collection and  access are necessary must be defined clearly and narrowly tailored to the legitimate purposes they aim  to accomplish, limited in time and scope, and subject to an independent judicial review. 

We stand with the people of Bangladesh as they strive for a fair, democratic, and peaceful society. We  strongly urge an immediate halt to the violence, repression, and intimidation targeting political opponents.  Hence, we call on the government of Bangladesh to: 

1. Immediately cease violence against protesters and ensure that the rights to freedom of expression,  freedom of peaceful assembly, life, liberty, and personal integrity are respected and protected. 2. Immediately and unconditionally drop all the politically-motivated cases, release all arbitrarily  detained activists and opposition members, and ensure fair and transparent judicial processes. 3. Conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the gross human rights violations, particularly  cases involving deaths and torture allegations. 
2. Reevaluate and revise the Draft Data Protection Act to ensure it aligns with international standards,  protecting the privacy and rights of citizens. 

Furthermore, we urge the international community to closely monitor the situation and advocate for the  protection of fundamental rights in Bangladesh. 

Signed: 

1. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) 
2. Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) 
3. The United Against Torture Consortium (UATC) 
4. Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) 
5. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) 
6. International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)