Past Govt. Ignored Rights Abusers During Uprising: OHCHR

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has revealed that its fact-finding mission found no “genuine effort” by Bangladesh’s ousted government to hold security forces and affiliated activists accountable for serious human rights violations during last year’s violent uprising. The OHCHR's report, released in March 2025, highlights the lack of investigation and accountability, despite clear legal obligations under Bangladesh’s domestic laws.

The report, which focuses on violations that occurred between July and August 2024, states that former senior officials confirmed no investigations were carried out into the security forces' use of firearms, even though the use of such force was widely documented. The report emphasized that during this period, from July 1 to August 5, 2024, there were no credible attempts by the former government to investigate, let alone hold perpetrators accountable for the egregious violations committed by security forces and supporters of the ruling Awami League.

According to the OHCHR, allegations of torture and ill-treatment were similarly ignored, with former government officials citing the "pressing security situation" as an excuse, claiming that no complaints had been received from victims. However, the OHCHR noted that numerous reports detailing alleged violations were published by credible local and international media, as well as human rights groups, providing ample grounds for investigations to be initiated by the authorities.

The report also mentioned that information regarding human rights violations was forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Home Ministry by foreign and international organizations. Despite this, no action was taken to investigate these violations. Additionally, a senior official raised concerns about excessive force in a meeting with the Prime Minister in early August, but again, no meaningful response followed.

On July 17, 2024, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the formation of a judicial inquiry to investigate the violence and damage caused by the quota reform protests, blaming the opposition and "terrorists" for the unrest. However, the OHCHR criticized the scope of the inquiry, which appeared to focus solely on the actions of protesters, neglecting the widespread violence committed by security forces.

The report further revealed that the judicial inquiry, headed by three judges, failed to produce any findings or even interim reports. By August 5, 2024, the inquiry had ceased to function, leaving behind no record of its activities. The OHCHR concluded that rather than taking steps toward ensuring accountability, the authorities had made concerted efforts to suppress the truth and cover up the scale of the violations.

The report also exposed the involvement of intelligence agencies, including police and other security forces, who maintained a presence at hospitals where victims were treated. In some cases, security personnel confiscated important medical records and removed bodies in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence of killings. The report also documented instances where police took projectiles from victims' bodies without proper records and hid the bodies from families.

Additionally, the OHCHR highlighted the unrecorded ammunition allocations given to police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) units, designed to prevent the documentation of excessive gunfire used during the uprising. The report disputed claims made by RAB that 14 out of its 15 battalions had not fired a single bullet, despite credible evidence of RAB shootings at protesters.

The authorities also engaged in intimidation tactics, targeting victims, their families, lawyers, and journalists who sought justice or exposed security force abuses. One high-profile case involved the killing of Abu Sayed, for which hundreds of people were wrongly arrested despite clear evidence, including widely circulated video footage, showing that police were responsible for the killing.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was also criticized in the OHCHR report for its failure to take meaningful action. While the NHRC issued a brief statement on July 30, 2024, condemning the loss of life and calling for an end to mass arrests, it did not take any further public actions or launch investigations into the abuses during the critical period up until August 5, 2024.

In summary, the OHCHR report paints a disturbing picture of systematic attempts to suppress human rights violations and prevent accountability, highlighting the lack of transparency and failure of key institutions to protect the rights of victims.