Staff Reporter :
Fortify Rights (FR) has uncovered disturbing evidences of Bangladesh’s security forces and the then ruling Awami League party members’ involvement in the deadly crackdown on protesters during the nationwide uprising in July and August 2024.
The organization’s extensive two-month investigation accuses high-ranking members of the Awami League, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, of enabling the violent repression that led to widespread deaths, injuries, and human rights violations.
The rights group is now calling on Bangladesh’s interim government to hold those responsible for the violent crackdown accountable, urging them to investigate the excessive use of force by security personnel and government-aligned vigilantes.
Fortify Rights also demanded that the government offer support and reparations to the families of victims and survivors of the brutal protests.
John Quinley, Director at Fortify Rights, emphasised the need for justice, stating, “The architects of violence, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, should be held accountable.”
He also noted that while the interim government had initiated some steps to assist survivors, it must tackle systemic issues such as extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture if it is to break the cycle of impunity. Widespread Violence Across Bangladesh.
Between July and August 2024, widespread protests erupted in major cities including Dhaka, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar, with demonstrators calling for an end to political oppression and economic inequality.
However, these protests were met with extreme force. According to Fortify Rights, over 1,000 deaths have been reported, with numerous cases of shootings, beatings, and arbitrary arrests.
The organization interviewed 44 survivors and eyewitnesses who described harrowing accounts of violence by security forces, including the police, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and members of the Awami League’s youth and student wings-the Chhatra League and Jubo League.
One of the most tragic incidents occurred in Dhaka, where security forces deployed live ammunition against peaceful protesters. Witnesses described how police officers positioned on an unfinished building shot at unarmed civilians, killing 22-year-old student Sajedur Rahman Omar, who was shot in the head while trying to flee.
Another account recounted the death of 16-year-old Mohammad Shuvo, who was shot while attempting to assist an injured protester. “It was chaos-helicopters flying overhead, tear gas everywhere, and live rounds raining down,” said Shuvo’s mother. “I couldn’t even reach my son.”
Targeting the Helpers: Police Brutality
The violence extended to those attempting to help the wounded. A 19-year-old fish trader recounted a particularly brutal incident in which he witnessed a schoolboy being executed by police.
The young boy had been shot at point-blank range by officers, and as the trader tried to assist him, he was shot in the leg and beaten. The physical and psychological trauma from the incident has left the trader deeply scarred.
Fortify Rights also documented systematic delays and obstacles in the recovery of bodies, exacerbating the pain of grieving families. One man, who witnessed his nephew’s fatal shooting, was forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze for three days before he was allowed to retrieve the body.
Tragically, after he finally obtained the necessary documents, the body went missing from the morgue, only to be discovered six days later in a different location.
Violence Beyond the Capital
The violent repression was not confined to Dhaka. In Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, Fortify Rights documented similar abuses, where local police, political party affiliates, and government-aligned militias attacked peaceful protesters.
On July 16, 2024, in Chattogram, a coalition of the Awami League’s Chhatra League and police attacked student protesters, resulting in the deaths of two students and a bystander.
Witnesses described how the attackers shot at demonstrators from close range before beating them with sticks. Police were present during the attack, but instead of intervening, they participated in the violence.
Similarly, in Cox’s Bazar, student protesters were met with gunfire, including birdshot, by both police and Awami League members. Several students recalled that police had initially promised protection but later joined the assault, firing live rounds at unarmed students.
“It was clear the protestors posed no threat,” one student recalled. “We were simply calling for our rights, and they shot at us without warning.”