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