Staff Reporter :
More than 150 scholars, writers, and public intellectuals have addressed an open letter to the UN Human Rights Commissioner, urging immediate action in response to the ongoing violence, intimidation, and repression in Bangladesh under the Sheikh Hasina Government.
This violence is directed against students, teachers, and journalists exercising their right to protest.
The eminent figures argue that Sheikh Hasina has lost all moral and legal legitimacy due to these severe violations and must be held accountable for the loss of so many lives.
The signatories include distinguished individuals such as the writer Amitav Ghosh, renowned philosophers Étienne Balibar and Sandra Laugier, and leaders in the humanities and social sciences such as Didier Fassin, Diana Eck, and Ash Amin.
The letter also has the support of current and former presidents of learned societies, including the American Sociological Association and the British Academy.
Additionally, the petition has garnered support from scholars with direct knowledge of Bangladesh, such as David Ludden. The global backing from universities highlights widespread concern for preserving academic freedom and democratic rights.
“As a group of scholars affiliated with universities and other educational institutions around the world, we write to express our grave concern about the brutal killing and injuring of students and others participating in public protests.
This not only violates the fundamental right to protest in a democracy but also undermines the right to life guaranteed under Article 32 of the Constitution of Bangladesh,” the letter states.
“Due to the continuing blockade on news, there is very little information on the brutal violence that has been unleashed on students, teachers, journalists, and others.
Still, from what we can gather from our colleagues in Bangladesh, we understand that the police have killed protestors in the hundreds and injured them in the thousands,” it continued.
The eminent figures further said that draconian measures such as arbitrary arrests and detention without show cause notice, denial of the right to
be represented by a lawyer, infliction of injuries, and torture on the arrested, call for immediate action to stop these blatant violations of human rights by the present government in Bangladesh.
“Given the atmosphere of intimidation and repression, we urge you as the High Commissioner of Human Rights, to press for an independent inquiry into these grievous events that would fix responsibility for the lethal violence against protesters and the blockade on news and communication,” they said.
“The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has lost all moral and legal legitimacy in allowing these grave violations and must answer for the loss of so many lives,” they mentioned.
The scholars also said that many academics and civil rights organisations have faced intimidation from the authorities in Bangladesh and fear for the safety of the families if they join our efforts to seek immediate action on behalf of the victims.
“We urge you that this is a moment of urgent action. Mindful of security concerns we are copying the text of the petitions and the signatories who have conveyed their consent to put their signatures on the petition via email,” they said.
Earlier, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Thursday local time called on the Bangladesh Government urgently to disclose full details about last week’s crackdown on protests amid growing accounts of horrific violence, and to ensure all law enforcement operations abide by international human rights norms and standards.