Staff Reporter :
The United States have expressed concerns about the use of live ammunition by the security forces in Bangladesh and urged the government to investigate the acts of violence committed during the student protests.
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General came up with the remarks in the press briefing in New York on Wednesday while journalists raised questions regarding the current and the past situation in Bangladesh due to student protests.
“We’re very concerned about the recent incidents in Bangladesh, including the use of live ammunition by security forces.
Those concerns have been shared both through public statements from this podium and directly with Bangladeshi authorities, both in Dhaka and here in New York,” he said.
The spokesperson also expressed concerned about what is happening in Bangladesh, about the mass arrests, the killings.
“It is very important that people demonstrate peacefully and that the
authorities guarantee that right for peaceful demonstration. It is a right that is enshrined in international human rights [covenants]. All acts of violence should be investigated in a transparent and credible manner,” he said.
The spokesperson also underscored the need for holding dialogue for the creation of conducive environment in Bangladesh.
“People need to be held to account, but there needs to be the creation of an environment that is conducive to dialogue.
And frankly, I think if we step back, we have seen demonstrations recently in different parts of the world, in different countries, with young people expressing the frustration at the state of the world, at their future, expressing their frustration at institutions, and the responsiveness of institutions.
Part of that are governance issues. Part of it is also, I think, the impact, the effects of how an international financial system remains unjust and has not been able to deal with the situation in a way that doesn’t hurt young people.
So, this is something we’ve seen all over the world. But, what is critically important is that wherever these demonstrations occur, people be allowed to demonstrate peacefully without fear of arrest, without fear of being wounded or worse,” he explained.
In reply to another question regarding whether Bangladesh government’s shoot-on-sight order will have any implications on Bangladesh’s contribution in peacekeeping mission.
He said, “The policy on human rights screening for UN personnel places primary responsibilities on Member States to ensure that the personnel they nominate for deployment have not been involved in past violations of international humanitarian or human rights law or have never been repatriated from a UN operation.”
He further said, “We obviously remain engaged with the national authorities on this issue, and we want to ensure that all measures are being taken to comply with the requirements of our human rights policy.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has urged the government of Bangladesh and its agencies to respect the right to protest, end the violent crackdown, and immediately lift all communications restrictions.
Bangladeshi authorities have continued to use unlawful force against student protesters, amid six days of shutdown and communication restrictions, during the quota-reform protest across the country, said Amnesty International on Thursday in a statement.
The nationwide internet access was partially restored on 23 July after six days of complete shutdown amidst a volatile period marked by a crackdown on protesters, the deployment of the army, a curfew, and the issuing of shoot-on-sight orders, the human rights body said.
“The limited information coming out of the country has been an impediment to human rights monitoring. Amnesty International has responded to the evolving situation through verification and analysis of available video and photographic evidence”, it said in the statement.